South Dakota has only one United State representative--Dusty Johnson, who faces only a Libertarian Party challenger in the general election--so we've been following congressional races in the Minnesota more closely than the one here where we vote.
In a pre-election article posted Monday, Roll Call reports in As campaign ends, GOP dominates list of 10 most vulnerable in the House:
A year ago, list featured eight Democrats; now there are three.
How much has the political environment moved away from Republicans? Look no further than the 10 most vulnerable House members.
One year ago, this list included eight Democrats and two Republicans. On the eve of the 2020 elections, the list includes seven Republicans and just three Democrats. It’s a dramatic shift after a tumultuous year. . . .
New York GOP Rep. John Katko is no longer on the list, thanks in part to a third-party candidate who could siphon votes from his Democratic opponent. He also dropped off to make room for colleagues in suburban districts who appear to be in more trouble, including Missouri’s Ann Wagner. Arizona’s David Schweikert and Minnesota’s Jim Hagedorn also join the list in the face of ethics-related attacks.
Number 2 on the list? Minnesota Seventh District's Collin Peterson:
The House Agriculture chairman faces the reelection fight of his 15-term career. He kept his grip on the rural western Minnesota district even when Trump carried it in 2016 by more than 30 points. But this year, Peterson’s challenger poses a bigger threat. Michelle Fischbach, a former lieutenant governor and state senator, has posted strong fundraising totals: $2.2 million as of Oct. 14 to Peterson’s $2.3 million. That’s more money than Peterson’s challengers collected in the past four cycles combined. Outside groups have poured millions into attack ads against both of them. If any Democrat can win in the 7th, it’s Peterson, who voted against impeaching Trump and opposes abortion rights.
New on the list, as noted early in the article: MN01 Republican Jim Hagedorn:
Hagedorn’s slide in the polls in his rematch against Democratic-Farmer-Labor nominee Dan Feehan shows how much Democrats have expanded their map into GOP turf this cycle. Ethics and campaign finance scandals have dogged Hagedorn in his quest for a second term. Feehan, an Army veteran and Obama-era Pentagon official, brought in $4.3 million by Oct. 14 to Hagedorn’s haul of $2.2 million. Unlike some of the most vulnerable Republicans, who represent suburban enclaves that have turned against the president, Hagedorn’s district is largely rural Trump country, which may help the incumbent. It also includes Rochester, home to the Mayo Clinic, where Hagedorn has been treated for kidney cancer.
We hesitate to predict the winners here, but given Hagedorn's culture of cronyism and corruption, it would be great to see him gone from the Southern Minnesota where we were born and raised.
Related posts for those wondering what the ethical rumpus is in MN01:
- In 2019 Small Business Week event, Hagedorn happy to learn about one in which he was once an minority owner
- MN01: Forum Communications and Star Tribune endorse Dan Feehan for Southern Minnesota
- MNReformer update: After Hagedorn payment revelations, Al Travis off KTOE until after election
- MN01 race news digest: Feehan and Hagedorn spar; do Hagedorn's accusations hold water?
- This week in Jim Hagedorn: a MN01 news digest
- Jim Hagedorn news digest: Rochester Bulletin, Mankato Free Press, MN Reformer and more!
- More MN Reformer: Expect an ethics complaint against Jim Hagedorn, DFL Chair Martin says
- But his emails! Strib reports Hagedorn personally involved in decisions about publicly funded mail
- Hagedorn aide at center of sketchy spending posts conspiratorial, homophobic social media
- The plot thickens in the Fighting First: Jim Hagedorn hires legal help for spending scandal
- Minnesota Reformer: MN01's Hagedorn spent tax dollars on vendor owned by a member of his staff
- MN01 data points: Does Hagedorn's internal polling conducted in March still matter?
- Hyperbole, much? Hagedorn's revelation about November 2020 is galloping nincompoopery
- Coals of criticism heaping on Jim Hagedorn; UnitedHealth Group says no more cash for you
- Rightwing values and performance art in MN-01: Mr. Quist and "Mr. Conservative" (2009)
- Republican Party of MN reports self-employed James, Hagedorn lives in St. Louis Park
- RPM, Friends of Hagedorn confuse state & federal campaign finance reports in answering PB question about Hagedorn's residence
- MN01: Meet a Hagedorn Washington legislative assistant working on agriculture issues
- MN01: the hostile world of Hagedorn town halls, updated with videos of Mankato area meetings
- Nazi namecalling: two Southern MN Republicans lose their wits about Warren, insulin critics
- MN01: Hagedorn echoes colleague's remark about kids being free to leave detention centers
- Congressman Hagedorn's campaign emails share only the finest COVID-19 news sources
- MN Reformer: The Hagedorn rule: Watchdogs say congressional family deals need oversight
Images: From the Roll Call article.
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