POLITICS Bloomberg Businessweek October 12, 2020
35Representative Collin Peterson’s reelection
campaign got a call this summer about some
trouble downstate in Minnesota’s 7th Congressional
District. Farmers supporting the 15-term
Democratic congressman, who chairs the U.S.
House Agriculture Committee, had put Peterson
placards up along a stretch of highway. The prob-
lem, according to the worried campaign volun-
teer, was that they were sitting next to signs for
President Donald Trump.
“What do you mean, a problem?” an aide
asked the volunteer, according to Peterson’s
retelling of the conversation. “How do you think
he gets elected?”
The exchange sums up the question at the core
of this closely watched race. Peterson may be a
Democrat. But he’s pro-gun rights and pro-life,
and a founding member of the centrist Blue Dog
Coalition.“Atonetimetherewerea lotofpeople
likeme”inCongress,hesays.“I’mtheonlypro-life
Democratleft.I’mtheonlyNRAA+Democratleft.”
Sofar,hissocialandfiscalconservatismhas
helpedhimfendoffRepublicanchallengersas
hislargelyruraldistrictinMinnesotahasgone
deepred.Trumpsweptthedistrictby 31 points
fouryearsago,makingthisthemostRepublican
HousedistrictinAmericastillrepresentedbya
Democrat.WillenoughTrumpvoterssplittheir
ticketsthistimearoundandsendPetersonback
toWashington?Republicansarebettingno.They
see 2020 astheirmomenttofliptheseat.
Petersonhashismostformidablecompetitorin
30 yearsinMichelleFischbach,a formerMinnesota
lieutenantgovernorandthefirstwomanpresident
ofthestatesenate,who’sbeenendorsedbyTrump.
She’shopingthatendorsementandherempha-
sisonlowtaxes,bordersecurity,lawandorder,
andotherconservativeissueswillhelpherover-
comethechallengeofgoingupagainsta veteran
HouseAgricultureCommitteememberina farm-
heavydistrict.
“She’sraisingmoney.Sheknowshowtorun
a campaign,andshe’sviewedasa betterfinan-
cialinvestmentbyoutsidedonorsthanprevious
challengershavebeen,”saysKathrynPearson,
anassociateprofessorofpoliticalscienceatthe
UniversityofMinnesotainMinneapolis.Campaign
analystsatthenonpartisanCookPoliticalReport
ratetheracea toss-up.
Fischbach,54,is toutinga “freshoutlook.”She
saysvoters“aretiredofCollinPeterson.They
aretiredofNancyPelosi.”AndshesaysPeterson
“onlyvoteswithRepublicanswhenit makeshim
lookgoodinthedistrict.”She’salsosoughtto
tiethe76-year-oldcongressmantoa “socialist”
Democratic agenda. Peterson, who voted against
impeaching Trump and who enjoys hunting bears
and deer on his farm when not on Capitol Hill, says
attempts to portray him as aligned with progres-
sives such as Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-
Cortez show that Republicans “have nothing else
than to make up stuff.”
The two candidates aren’t far apart on fund-
raising, with Peterson taking in $1.23 million from
January 2019 through July 22, according to the
Center for Responsive Politics. Fischbach brought
in $1 million over the same period. She has signifi-
cantly outspent Peterson, however.
But Peterson has far outraised Fischbach when
it comes to money from corporate political action
committees. A pro-Peterson SuperPAC backed
in part by sugar beet growers, the Committee
for Stronger Rural Communities, started last○ Pro-life,pro-gunDemocratCollinPeterson
facesa challengefromMichelleFischbach
An Imperiled
Blue Dog in
Trumpland
THE BOTTOM LINE Ardern’s capable handling of a series of
crises points to a Labour Party victory on Oct. 17, even though her
government hasn’t delivered on some key policy goals.
foundations for change. “Ruth Bader Ginsburg said
that change, real change, comes a step at a time,”
she said, paraphrasing the recently deceased U.S.
Supreme Court justice.
As the pandemic keeps its borders closed,
decimating a tourism industry that was once its big-
gest foreign exchange earner, New Zealand faces
immense challenges. But in guiding her country
so competently through a string of unprecedented
crises, Ardern has won voters’ trust.
“She’s a mother and she’s led the country
through disaster after disaster,” said Bronwyn
Eriksson, the owner of a bakery in Nelson who
offered Ardern a pastry during her walkabout
there. “She’s such a bright light. Why wouldn’t we
want her for another term?” —Matthew Brockett
○ Total USDA subsidies
for Minnesota’s
7th Congressional
District, 1995-2020$9.1b
○ Peterson