Minnesota's 7th Congressional District elections, 2014

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
2016 →
← 2012

CongressLogo.png

Minnesota's 7th Congressional District
General Election Date
November 4, 2014
Primary Date
August 12, 2014
November 4 Election Winner:
Collin Peterson Democratic Party
Incumbent prior to election:
Collin Peterson Democratic Party
Collin Peterson.jpg
Race Ratings
Cook Political Report: Lean D[1]

FairVote's Monopoly Politics: Safe D[2]
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean D[3]

Minnesota U.S. House Elections
District 1 • District 2 • District 3 • District 4 • District 5 • District 6 • District 7 • District 8
2014 U.S. Senate Elections
Flag of Minnesota.png

The 7th Congressional District of Minnesota held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014.

Incumbent Collin Peterson (D) continued to hold the seat he had occupied since 1990. He defeated challenger Torrey Westrom (R) in the general election.[4] Peterson had been able to maintain office representing the rural district for 14 years. Republicans were aiming to give Westrom a legitimate shot at unseating Peterson in a district that tended to lean towards conservative ideals.

Cook Political Report rated the district to likely "Lean D" given Peterson's tenure. September polls showed Peterson with a fair lead in the district, while Westrom hoped to make a surge to close the gap. In October, SurveyUSA displayed Peterson maintaining his lead over Westrom with a 50-41 lead.

Peterson's tenure and popularity in the region allowed him to accumulate a fair amount of wealth for his campaign coffers, which totaled much more than his challenger. Westrom, however, received more contributions as Republicans attempted to close the gap in the polls. Despite the additional contributions, Peterson more than doubled Westrom in cash-on-hand for campaign finances.

Candidate Filing Deadline Primary Election General Election
June 3, 2014
August 12, 2014
November 4, 2014

Primary: A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Minnesota utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[5][6][7]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Voter registration: To vote in the primary, voters needed to register on election day, or pre-register by July 22, 2014. For the general election, the voter registration deadline was October 14, 2014 (21 days days prior to the election).[8]

See also: Minnesota elections, 2014

Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was Collin Peterson (D), who was first elected in 1990.

The 7th District covers almost all of the western side of Minnesota. It includes Becker, Big Stone, Chippewa, Clay, Clearwater, Douglas, Grant, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Lac qui Parle, Lake of the Woods, Lincoln, Lyon, Mahnomen, Marshall, McLeod, Meeker, Murray, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Roseau, Sibley, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wilkin, and Yellow Medicine counties. Portions of Beltrami, Cottonwood, and Stearns counties also lie within the district.[9]

Candidates

General election candidates


August 12, 2014, primary results

Democratic Party Democratic Primary

Republican Party Republican Primary


Elections

General election results

The 7th Congressional District of Minnesota held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Collin Peterson (D) defeated challenger Torrey Westrom (R) in the general election.

U.S. House, Minnesota District 7 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngCollin Peterson Incumbent 54.2% 130,546
     Republican Torrey Westrom 45.7% 109,955
     N/A Write-in 0.1% 334
Total Votes 240,835
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

Key votes

National security

HR 644

See also: Bowe Bergdahl exchange

Yea3.png On September 9, 2014, the Republican-run House approved H.R. 644, a resolution condemning President Barack Obama's act of exchanging five Guantanamo Bay prisoners for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.[12][13] The House voted 249-163 for resolution, with all Republicans and 22 Democrats supporting the bill. Fourteen Democrats and five Republicans did not vote on the resolution, while all other Democrats opposed its passage.[13] Peterson dissented from the majority of the Democratic party and voted in favor of the bill.[12][13]

Polls

General election polls

Collin Peterson vs. Torrey Westrom
Poll Collin Peterson (D) Torrey Westrom (R)UndecidedMargin of ErrorSample Size
SurveyUSA
October 3-6, 2014		 50%41%10%+/-4.3545
Tarrance Group
September 21-23, 2014		 45%40%15%+/-4.9402
Global Strategy Group
September 4-7, 2014		 53%29%18%+/-4.9405
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Campaign contributions

Collin Peterson

Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Peterson's reports.[14]

Torrey Westrom

Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Westrom's reports.[20]

Torrey Westrom (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
ReportDate FiledBeginning BalanceTotal Contributions
for Reporting Period		ExpendituresCash on Hand
Year-End[21]January 31, 2013$0.00$84,346.63$(669.03)$83,677.6
April Quarterly[22]April 15, 2014$83,677.6$136,924.2$(49,872.85)$170,728.95
July QuarterlyJuly 15, 2014$327,789.00$36,080.00$(79,934.00)$283,935.00
Running totals
$257,350.83$(130,475.88)

Race background

Incumbent Collin Peterson (D), was one of seven early targets listed by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) in the 2014 congressional elections.[23] The seven targets aligned perfectly with the seven most Republican districts held by Democrats, according to FairVote's partisanship index. Peterson's district ranked as the 5th most Republican (45% D).[24]

Peterson on Obamacare

Collin Peterson was one of 34 Democrats in the U.S. House to vote against the Affordable Care Act, informally known as "Obamacare," in 2010. Out of these 34 U.S. Representatives, Peterson was one of only four Democratic incumbents who both held their seats and decided to run for re-election in 2014.[25] Although Peterson consistently voted against full repeal of the bill, he sided with Republicans on about half of the healthcare bills voted on since 2011. While he does not support the bill as a whole, he maintained that there were some good aspects, and that a full repeal was not the best option because it "repeals pre-existing conditions, it repeals all the good stuff, kids on their parents’ policies, the Medicare donut hole … by doing that, you’re getting rid of the good stuff."[26] Peterson's challenger in the 2014 general election, Torrey Westrom (R), attacked Peterson for voting against repeal, saying that he "failed the hard working families, farmers and small business owners of rural Minnesota."[26]

District history

Candidate ballot access
Ballot Access Requirements Final.jpg
Find detailed information on ballot access requirements in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

2012

Incumbent Collin Peterson won re-election to the 7th Congressional District of Minnesota U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012.[27]

U.S. House, Minnesota District 7 General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngCollin Peterson Incumbent 60.4% 197,791
     Republican Lee Byberg 34.8% 114,151
     Independence Adam Steele 4.7% 15,298
     NA Write-in 0.1% 336
Total Votes 327,576
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State, "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" (dead link)


2010

On November 2, 2010, Collin Peterson (D) won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Lee Byberg (R), Gene Waldorf (I) and Glen Menze (Independence) in the general election.[28]

U.S. House, Minnesota District 7 General Election, 2010
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngCollin Peterson incumbent 55.2% 133,096
     Republican Lee Byberg 37.6% 90,652
     Independent Gene Waldorf 3.9% 9,317
     Independence Glen Menze 3.3% 7,839
     N/A Write-in 0.1% 193
Total Votes 241,097


2008

U.S. House of Representatives, Minnesota's 7th Congressional District, General Election, 2008
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngCollin Peterson Incumbent 72.2% 227,187
     Republican Glen R. Menze 27.7% 87,062
     Independent Write-In 0.1% 431
Total Votes 314,680


2006

U.S. House of Representatives, Minnesota's 7th Congressional District, General Election, 2006
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngCollin Peterson Incumbent 69.7% 179,164
     Republican Michael Barrett 29% 74,557
     Constitution Ken Lucier 1.3% 3,303
     Independent Write-In 0.1% 170
Total Votes 257,194


2004

U.S. House of Representatives, Minnesota's 7th Congressional District, General Election, 2004
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngCollin Peterson Incumbent 66.1% 207,628
     Republican David Sturrock 33.8% 106,349
     Independent Write-In 0.1% 280
Total Votes 314,257


2002

U.S. House of Representatives, Minnesota's 7th Congressional District, General Election, 2002
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngCollin Peterson Incumbent 65.3% 170,234
     Republican Dan Stevens 34.6% 90,342
     Independent Write-In 0.1% 237
Total Votes 260,813


2000

U.S. House of Representatives, Minnesota's 7th Congressional District, General Election, 2000
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngCollin Peterson Incumbent 68.7% 185,771
     Republican Glen Menze 29.3% 79,175
     Constitution Owen Silverston 2.1% 5,550
Total Votes 270,496


1998

U.S. House of Representatives, Minnesota's 7th Congressional District, General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngCollin Peterson Incumbent 71.7% 169,907
     Republican Aleta Edin 28.1% 66,562
     Independent Write-In 0.2% 473
Total Votes 236,942

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2014 House Race Ratings for August 8, 2014," accessed August 25, 2014
  2. ↑ FairVote's Monopoly Politics, "2014 House Projections," accessed August 25, 2014
  3. ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2014 House Races," accessed August 25, 2014
  4. ↑ Politico, "House Elections Results," accessed November 11, 2014
  5. ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed April 25, 2023
  6. ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
  7. ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State,"PRIMARY ELECTION," accessed April 25, 2023
  8. ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State Website, "How to Register," accessed January 3, 2014
  9. ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Counties by Congressional Districts," accessed June 8, 2016
  10. ↑ Politico, "Democrat Collin Peterson to run again in Minnesota," accessed March 17, 2014
  11. ↑ Roll Call, "Republican Will Challenge Peterson in Minnesota," accessed December 5, 2013
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 The Hill, "House votes to condemn administration over Taliban prisoner swap," September 9, 2014
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 U.S. House, "Roll Call Vote 485," accessed September 10, 2014
  14. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Peterson 2014 Summary reports," accessed July 18, 2013
  15. ↑ FEC, "April Quarterly," accessed July 18, 2013
  16. ↑ FEC, "July Quarterly," accessed July 18, 2013
  17. ↑ FEC, "October Quarterly," accessed October 23, 2013
  18. ↑ FEC, "Year-End Quarterly," accessed February 11, 2014
  19. ↑ FEC, "April Quarterly," accessed May 16, 2014
  20. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Torrey Westrom Summary Report," accessed April 23, 2014
  21. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Torrey Westrom Year-End," accessed April 23, 2014
  22. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Torrey Westrom April Quarterly," accessed April 23, 2014
  23. ↑ The Hill, "NRCC, promising to 'stay on offense,' targets seven Dems," accessed January 16, 2013
  24. ↑ FairVote, "NRCC Targets Foreshadow Power of Partisanship in 2014 Elections," January 18, 2013
  25. ↑ Politico, "Only 4 anti-Obamacare House Dems left for fall elections," accessed August 25, 2014
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 MinnPost, "Peterson's Obamacare voting record: no more 'ammunition' for GOP," accessed August 25, 2014
  27. ↑ ABC News, "General Election Results 2012-Minnesota," November 7, 2012
  28. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
v • e
2013-2014 Elections to the United States Congress
Senate by State
Alabama • Alaska • Arkansas • Colorado • Delaware • Georgia • Illinois • Idaho • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Montana • Nebraska • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • North Carolina • Oklahoma • Oregon • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Virginia • West Virginia • Wyoming
CongressLogo.png
House by State
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming
Senate Special Elections
House Special Elections
Election information
Super PACs/Organizations


Minnesota's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Amy Klobuchar (D)
Tina Smith (D)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
Tom Emmer (R)
District 7
District 8
Democratic Party (6)
Republican Party (4)

Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Minnesota%27s_7th_Congressional_District_elections,_2014&oldid=8806152"