DFL to reveal 7th District House candidate at Saturday convention in Willmar

MOORHEAD — Minnesota's Seventh Congressional District, which as of Tuesday, May 10, did not have a DFL candidate for the U.S. House, will have one by Saturday afternoon.

That's according to Jennifer Cronin, who chairs Minnesota's Seventh Congressional District's DFL chapter.

Cronin said the individual's name is not being revealed until the party's Seventh Congressional District endorsing convention, which begins at 1 p.m. Saturday at Willmar High School.

She said the decision not to disclose the candidate's name until the nominating convention was made out of respect for the candidate, who she said is spending this week helping someone close to them deal with end-of-life issues.

"We will definitely have an announcement on Saturday," Cronin said, adding that the person has run for office in the past, including a bid for state senate.

She said the person will be a strong candidate in the DFL party's efforts to unseat Republican incumbent Michelle Fischbach.

"It's somebody who is very ingrained in our communities. Very active, intelligent, likable.

"We have a good challenger. I am excited," Cronin added.

Fischbach unseated Democrat Collin Peterson in his last bid for reelection to the U.S. House from Minnesota's Seventh Congressional District in November 2020.

Peterson occupied the House seat for 30 years.

The filing period to be a candidate for Congress is May 31.

When it comes to congressional races, Minnesota Democrats and Republicans will hold primary elections on Aug. 9.

The general election is Nov. 8.

The Minnesota DFL has had three candidates announce for the Seventh District House race, but all have since stepped back.

One of them, Mark Lindquist, said he was putting his political aspirations on hold to focus on trying to help Ukraine resist invading Russian forces.

Lindquist subsequently traveled to Ukraine and participated in relief efforts there.

The other two would-be candidates, who included Reed Olson, a Beltrami County commissioner, lost interest in running the after the redrawing of congressional districts in Minnesota, even though under federal law someone who is eligible to run for the House from Minnesota may file in any district in the state, whether they reside in that district or not.