Several publications have speculated that Minnesota’s Collin Peterson, currently chair of the House Agriculture Committee, could be in line to be Barack Obama’s
Treasury Secretary of Agriculture(
ed.). Republicans I have spoken to have been particularly excited at the possibility because they see the 7th District as a prime pick-up opportunity were Peterson to abandon the seat. Peterson has denied interest in the job many times, but he gave
a Shermanesque denial to Don Davis:
“I made it very clear I did not want an offer,” [Peterson] said Monday of his comments to Obama’s staff.
And whenever he speaks to a group, which happens a lot as a powerful chairman, one of his lines is: “I guarantee you it is not going to be me.”
The Obama people have not been hounding him to accept: “They have not contacted me. They have not sent me anything. They have not asked me anything.”
Peterson speculated that maybe the Obama folks are using his name as a distraction: “They can use me to keep the focus off whoever they want to get in there.”
I actually think the DFL would have a decent chance at holding the 7th if Peterson were to leave. We’ve got a decent bench up there, led by St. Rep. Paul Marquart. Still, its a relief to know that Peterson isn’t going anywhere soon.
Editor’s Note: This diary has been promoted from MNpublius’s new Diaries page where anyone can write a post. If you missed Jeff’s analysis of CD8, make sure to check it out here.
In this edition of the Daily Liberal Mapping Project, we look at the 7th Congressional District. CD7, home to Democratic Representative Collin Peterson, tends to be quite moderate. Peterson turned the district bluer with his election in 1990, and was a founding member of the Blue Dog Democrats, a moderate group which describes itself as:
a policy-oriented group to give moderate and conservative Democrats in the House of Representatives a common sense, bridge-building voice within the institution.
The district voted largely Democratic in 2006. Approximately half of the precincts voted over 60% Democratic, but about one third voted Republican.
However, nothing is guaranteed in the 7th, where voters are far more likely to split their tickets than the typical Minnesotan. Volatility is a measure of variation across races, and precincts with high volatility are those that see a lot of ticket-splitters.
The volatility map (below, at left) below shows that almost the entire district is full of voters willing to cross party lines. In 2006, the district voted 56% for Amy Klobuchar, but 54% for Tim Pawlenty. This has long been a safe seat for Peterson; the question will be how Al Franken fares with the volatile CD7 voters. In the more socially-conservative 7th, Franken must persuade voters to focus on his fiscal policies. CD7 readers, what do you think: will the 7th swing for Franken or against him?
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