Collin Peterson

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Collin Peterson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's 7th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 1991
Preceded by Arlan Stangeland
Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee
In office
January 4, 2007 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by Bob Goodlatte
Succeeded by Frank Lucas
Member of the Minnesota Senate
from the 10th district
In office
January 4, 1977 – January 5, 1987
Preceded by John Moonan
Succeeded by Cal Larson
Personal details
Born (1944-06-29) June 29, 1944 (age 68)
Fargo, North Dakota
Political party Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Spouse(s) Divorced
Residence Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
Alma mater Moorhead State University
Occupation accountant
Religion Lutheran
Military service
Service/branch United States Army National Guard
Years of service 1963–1969

Collin Clark Peterson (born June 29, 1944), is the U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 7th congressional district, serving since 1991, and the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee. He is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and is the dean of the Minnesota congressional delegation. The district, Minnesota's largest and most rural district, includes the entire northwestern area of the state. It includes Moorhead, Fergus Falls, Bemidji, Detroit Lakes, Thief River Falls, Willmar, Marshall, and Alexandria.

Contents

[edit] Early life, education, and early political career

Collin Peterson was born in Fargo, North Dakota, grew up on a farm in Baker, Minnesota, and received his B.A. at Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Peterson was a member of the Minnesota Senate for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (the Minnesota branch of the Democratic Party) from 1977 to 1986, representing a district in northwestern Minnesota. In 1976, he defeated Republican nominee Frank DeGroat 55%-45%.[1] In 1982, he won re-election against State Representative Cal Larson by just 200 votes, or 0.8% difference.[2]

[edit] U.S. House of Representatives

[edit] Elections

1980s

In 1984, he ran for Minnesota's 7th congressional district in Northwestern Minnesota, held by Republican Arlan Stangeland. Peterson lost 57%-43%.[3] In 1986, he ran in a rematch and narrowly lost by just 121 votes.[4] In 1988, he ran again but lost in the DFL primary to State Senator Marv Hanson 55%-45%.[5]

1990s

In 1990, he ran for a fourth time and won the primary. In the general election, he finally defeated seven-term Stangeland 54%-46%.[6] In 1992, he narrowly won re-election by a 50–49% margin against former State Representative Bernie Omann.[7] In a 1994 rematch, Peterson won again by a 51–49% margin, despite the Republican Revolution.[8] In 1996, he won re-election with 68% of the vote, and won every county in the CD.[9] In 1998, he won re-election with 72% of the vote.[10]

2000s

During this decade, he never won re-election with less than 65% of the vote.

2010s

In 2010, Peterson survived another Republican wave election. This time, he defeated Lee Byberg 55%-38%, his worst election performance since 1994.[11]

[edit] Tenure

Peterson was one of the seven original founders of the Blue Dog Coalition of moderate Democrats in the House.

Peterson is considered to be the most moderate Democrat in the Minnesota delegation in the 109th Congress, scoring 50% conservative by a conservative group[12] and 57% progressive by a liberal group.[13] He is generally conservative on social issues; he strongly opposes abortion and has been one of the few Democrats to vote against even embryonic stem cell research and the vast majority of gun control measures. He has voted to ban physician assisted suicide and also to approve the flag desecration amendment. Peterson also supports the federal marriage amendment and the death penalty. His socially conservative views are not surprising given the makeup of his district. The 7th contains some of the most conservative counties in the state. As previously mentioned, it is also the state's most rural district; many DFLers outside the Twin Cities are hunters and trappers who oppose gun control.

On economic issues, however, he is somewhat closer to the liberal wing of his party: he has voted against most free trade agreements, the Freedom to Farm Act, and the Telecom Act of 1996. He also voted against both versions of the Patriot Act and he has been sharply critical of the No Child Left Behind Act, which he contends is unfair to rural students. Since becoming ranking Democrat on the Agriculture Committee, Peterson has voted more often with liberal Democrats. However, political commentators often note that Peterson once dated former Congresswoman Katherine Harris, who, as the Republican Secretary of State of Florida during the 2000 presidential election, infuriated Democrats by certifying George W. Bush as the election winner.[14]

Peterson was one of the few Democrats to vote in favor of the Military Commissions Act of 2006.[15]

Peterson was a cosponsor of the Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2005<refr>H.R. 884: Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2005, GovTrack.us</ref>[16] which would provide job protection for three million illegal immigrant agricultural workers and their families, and extend the visas of legal immigrant agricultural workers.

In 1998, Peterson gained attention by proposing a constitutional amendment that would allow the residents of Minnesota's Northwest Angle to vote on whether they wanted to secede from the United States and join the Canadian province of Manitoba.

In January 2005, he was selected by the House Democratic Caucus to succeed former Texas Congressman Charlie Stenholm as the Ranking Member on the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture. He became the committee's chairman after the Democrats won control of the House two years later.

Along with John Conyers, in April 2006 Peterson brought an action against George W. Bush and others alleging violations of the Constitution in the passing of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.[17] The case (Conyers v. Bush) was ultimately dismissed.[18]

In May 2007, Peterson was the lone Democrat to vote against the Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act.[19]

On January 28, 2009, Peterson was amongst the seven Democrats who voted in the House together with the unanimous Republican opposition against President Obama's stimulus package (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009).[20][21]

On May 6, 2009, Peterson voiced his opposition to climate change legislation proposed by the Obama Administration saying, "I will not support any kind of climate change bill – even if you fix this – because I don't trust anybody anymore. I've had it." Peterson predicted that an Environmental Protection Agency proposal to assess indirect effects of ethanol production on greenhouse gas emissions, combined with the climate change legislation, could "kill off corn ethanol."[22]

On March 21, 2010, Peterson voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.[23]

From 2003 through 2005, $14.7 billion in crop subsidies went to the congressional districts of members on the House Committee on Agriculture, an analysis by the non-partisan Environmental Working Group found. That was 42.4% of the total subsidies. Peterson is reported to have brought $874 million to his District.[24] In Peterson's district, which includes sugar beets, wheat and poultry, 58% of the $2.8 billion paid out in crop subsidies from 1995 to 2005 went to 10% of recipients, according to the Environmental Working Group, which tracks farm spending. The chairman says he has no problem with that. "Ten percent of the farmers produce 90% of the food," he says.

In December 2005, Peterson joined with several other Congressmen to form the Second Amendments, a bipartisan rock and country band set to play for United States troops stationed overseas over the Holiday season.[25]

On July 27, 2009, a controversy erupted after Peterson was quoted in a Politico.com article saying, "25 percent of my people believe the Pentagon and Rumsfeld were responsible for taking the twin towers down. That's why I don't do town meetings." The state Republican Party denounced the remark as "outrageous and offensive". Peterson apologized for the comment, which he described as "off-hand".[26]

In 2010, he was endorsed by the National Right to Life Committee[27] and the National Rifle Association.[28]

In 2011, he co-sponsored HR 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.[29] The bill contained an exception for "forcible rape," which opponents criticized as potentially excluding drug-facilitated rape, date rape, and other forms of rape.[30] The bill also allowed an exception for minors who are victims of incest.[29]

[edit] Committee assignments

  • Committee on Agriculture (Ranking Member)
    • As ranking member of the full committee, Rep. Peterson may sit as an ex officio member of all subcommittees.
  • Military Veterans Caucus, Co-chair

[edit] Electoral history

2010
See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota, 2010#District 7
2010 Seventh Congressional District of Minnesota Elections
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Collin Peterson 133,086 55.2 -17
Republican Lee Byberg 90,682 37.6 -
Independent Gene Waldorf 9,310 3.9 -
Independence Glen Menze 7,904 3.3 -24.4
2008
See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota, 2008#District 7
2008 Seventh Congressional District of Minnesota Elections
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Collin Peterson 227,180 72.2 +2.2
Republican Glen Menze 87,057 27.7 -
republican others 428 0.1 -
2006
Main article: U.S. House elections, 2006
2006 Seventh Congressional District of Minnesota Elections
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Collin Peterson 179,163 70 +4
Republican Michael Barrett 74,680 29 -
Constitution Ken Lucier 3,303 1 -
2004
Main article: U.S. House elections, 2004
2004 Seventh Congressional District of Minnesota Elections
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Collin Peterson 207,254 66 +1
Republican David Sturrock 106,235 34 -
2002
Main article: U.S. House elections, 2002
2002 Seventh Congressional District of Minnesota Elections
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Collin Peterson 170,191 65 -
Republican Dan Stevens 90,320 35 -
1990
Main article: United States House elections, 1990
1990 Seventh Congressional District of Minnesota Elections
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Collin Peterson 53 -
Republican Arlan Stangeland 46 -

[edit] Personal life

Peterson lives in Detroit Lakes, just east of Moorhead.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "MN State Senate 10 Race - Nov 02, 1976". Our Campaigns. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=748811. Retrieved January 15, 2012. 
  2. ^ "MN State Senate 10 Race - Nov 02, 1982". Our Campaigns. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=432458. Retrieved January 15, 2012. 
  3. ^ "MN District 7 Race - Nov 06, 1984". Our Campaigns. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=51846. Retrieved January 15, 2012. 
  4. ^ "MN District 7 Race - Nov 04, 1986". Our Campaigns. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=38470. Retrieved January 15, 2012. 
  5. ^ "MN District 7 - DFL Primary Race - Sep 13, 1988". Our Campaigns. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=429185. Retrieved January 15, 2012. 
  6. ^ "MN District 7 Race - Nov 06, 1990". Our Campaigns. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=34098. Retrieved January 15, 2012. 
  7. ^ "MN District 7 Race - Nov 03, 1992". Our Campaigns. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=28028. Retrieved January 15, 2012. 
  8. ^ "MN District 7 Race - Nov 08, 1994". Our Campaigns. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=28913. Retrieved January 15, 2012. 
  9. ^ "MN District 7 Race - Nov 05, 1996". Our Campaigns. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=29552. Retrieved 2012-01-15. 
  10. ^ "MN District 7 Race - Nov 03, 1998". Our Campaigns. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=30698. Retrieved January 15, 2012. 
  11. ^ "MN - District 07 Race - Nov 02, 2010". Our Campaigns. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=496785. Retrieved January 15, 2012. 
  12. ^ "Congressional Voting Scorecard 2005" (PDF). SBE Council’s Congressional Voting Scorecard 2005. Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. June, 2006. http://www.sbecouncil.org/uploads/Ratings2005Scorecard.pdf. Retrieved November 2, 2006. 
  13. ^ "Leading with the Left". Progressive Punch. http://www.progressivepunch.org. Retrieved November 2, 2006. 
  14. ^ "Article | The American Prospect". Prospect.org. July 16, 2010. http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewPrint&articleId=10306. Retrieved July 20, 2010. 
  15. ^ "GovTrack: House Vote On Passage: H.R. 6166 [109th]: Military Commissions Act of 2006". Govtrack.us. September 27, 2006. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2006-491. Retrieved July 20, 2010. 
  16. ^ Bill Text 109th Congress (2005–2006) S.359.IS, THOMAS
  17. ^ "11 House Members to Sue Over Budget Bill". ABC News. Associated Press. April 27, 2006. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1898817. Retrieved February 20, 2007. [dead link]
  18. ^ "Judge Dismisses Budget Bill Lawsuit". ABC News. Associated Press. November 6, 2006. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2633701. Retrieved November 28, 2006. [dead link]
  19. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (May 23, 2007). "FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 404". House of Representatives Roll Call. http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll404.xml. Retrieved May 24, 2007. 
  20. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (January 28, 2009). "FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 46 on "Making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year ending 2009"". House of Representatives Roll Call. http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll046.xml. Retrieved January 31, 2009. 
  21. ^ Kevin Díaz (January 30, 2009). "Rep. Peterson: Stimulus is flawed". Star Tribune. http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/congress/38731832.html?elr=KArks8c7PaP3E77K_3c::D3aDhU6:_0c:QyDiiUiacyKUU. Retrieved January 31, 2009. 
  22. ^ Sally Schuff (May 6, 2009). "Peterson cries foul on EPA ethanol proposal, vows not to support climate change bill". Feedstuffs. http://www.feedstuffs.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=F4D1A9DFCD974EAD8CD5205E15C1CB42&nm=Breaking+News&type=news&mod=News&mid=A3D60400B4204079A76C4B1B129CB433&tier=3&nid=2ED25D0552384C0396608AE0F548F8E9. Retrieved May 7, 2009. 
  23. ^ "Peterson Statement on Health Care Vote" (Press release). Mar. 21, 2010. http://collinpeterson.house.gov/press/111th/Peterson%20Statement%20on%20Health%20Care%20Vote.html. Retrieved Mar. 25, 2010. 
  24. ^ Dilanian, Ken, " Billions go to House panel members' districts", USA Today. July 26, 2007.
  25. ^ 1[dead link]
  26. ^ Roper, Eric (July 29, 2009). "Peterson apologizes for slap at constituents". http://www.startribune.com/local/51861647.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUT. Retrieved July 28, 2009. [dead link]
  27. ^ National Right to Life PAC Endorses Chip Cravaack for Congress in Minnesota 8th Congressional District[dead link]
  28. ^ Birkey, Andy (October 4, 2010). "National Rifle Association endorses Walz". The Minnesota Independent. http://minnesotaindependent.com/71742/national-rifle-association-endorses-walz. Retrieved January 15, 2012. 
  29. ^ a b "Full text of House Resolution 3: No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act". Govtrack.us. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h112-3. Retrieved January 15, 2012. 
  30. ^ "What is 'forcible rape' exactly?". The Washington Post. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2011/02/what_is_forcible_rape_exactly.html. 

[edit] External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Roger L. Hanson
Vergas		 Minnesota Senate District 10
1977–1986		 Succeeded by
Cal Larson
Fergus Falls
Preceded by
Bob Goodlatte
Virginia		 Chairman of House Agriculture Committee
2007–2011		 Succeeded by
Frank Lucas
Oklahoma
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Arlan Stangeland		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's 7th congressional district
1991 – present		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
United States order of precedence
Preceded by
Jim Moran
D-Virginia		 United States Representatives by seniority
59th		 Succeeded by
Maxine Waters
D-California
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