Peterson plans to run again

Western Minnesotans should not believe rumors that U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson is not running, he said today.

Peterson said he plans to run again, but will wait until February to make a formal announcement. His comment comes on the heels of a Republican news release saying that Democrat Peterson appeared ready to throw in the towel.

“I don’t know why anyone would give credibility to these Republican rumors," Peterson said. "I’m running for re-election and anyone who knows me knows that what I’m doing now is what I’ve always done. My paperwork is on file and in February I’ll make an official announcement.

"I think political campaigns are already too long (and my constituents agree) and so I wait and do what I can to make mine as short as I can. This retirement rumor is being ginned up by the National Republican Party people in Washington, DC, who don’t know anything about Minnesota’s 7th District. As for why they are working so hard to circulate this baloney, I think they’re just trying to stir things up because they don’t have a candidate to run against me.”

One of those "ginning up" the talk is Tom Erickson, a Willmar native and now a National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman. He says:

"Congressman Peterson has no one to blame but himself for this speculation that he’d retire. Peterson’s fundraising is stagnant, he denigrated his district by claiming one-quarter of his constituents believe 9-11 was an inside job, he sold out Minnesota’s ag community by cutting a deal on cap-and-trade and just last week he refused to commit to another campaign. Given all this, Peterson might want to reconsider his decision.

"One final point – specifically Rep. Peterson’s insinuation that National Republican operatives, such as myself, 'don't know anything about Minnesota's 7th District:' I am a native of Minnesota’s 7th District and am a former constituent of Rep. Peterson."

Posted by: Don Davis on 12/15/2009 at 6:02 PM | Permalink

Tags: congress campaign, peterson