MOORHEAD - Thirteen-term U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., said Friday he doesn't need to spend money to get elected to a 14th term in 2016.
"I don't think I'd need to spend a nickel to get elected," the 71-year-old told The Forum Editorial Board. "I've never been as popular as I am now."
Peterson, who says he's definitely running for another term as Minnesota's 7th District congressman, was responding to recent National Republican Congressional Committee claims that his support is weakening because he only brought in $141,000 in campaign donations in the recent reporting period.
Zach Hunter, regional press secretary for the NRCC, called Peterson's latest fundraising quarter "anemic" and said the longtime western Minnesota Democrat should retire before being defeated.
"After yet another bad fundraising quarter, Collin Peterson simply refuses to take himself off the retirement watch list," said the NRCC's Hunter. "Democrats are moving left, and Peterson knows full-well that he will find himself caught between a far-left liberal at the top of the ticket and Republican voters in the 7th District."
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In the 2014 election, Peterson beat Republican challenger state Sen. Torrey Westrom of Elbow Lake 54 percent to 46 percent.
Peterson said his 95-year-old Moorhead father has encouraged him to retire and live a less-hectic life, but he says he still enjoys working for his constituents and has campaigned in 15 parades so far this summer.
With 26 years in the U.S. House, the "Bluedog Democrat" is among pretty rare company. Peterson is 32nd in seniority among 435 members. Of the roughly 13,000 people who have served in Congress, only 400 members have served longer than Peterson.
