TO: Interested Parties
FR: DCCC Communications
DT: Oct. 30, 2014
RE: Peterson in Strong Position to Win Re-election
By any measure – whether it’s his fundraising success, ringing local endorsements, or record of working across the aisle to get things done for Minnesota’s farmers and middle class families – it’s clear that with less than a week until election day, Rep. Collin Peterson is once again in a strong position to win his re-election.
Peterson Enters Final Stretch With Massive Resource Advantage
Sen. Torrey Westrom entered the final stretch of the campaign with a massive resource disadvantage against Peterson, who has the resources he needs to communicate his message to voters in the homestretch. Given Westrom’s poor fundraising and inability to connect with voters, it’s no surprise that the National Republican Congressional Committee has resorted to deceptive attacks to smear Peterson’s record. First, they created fake campaign websites to target Peterson. They then created fake news sites to smear Peterson’s record.
Outside Attacks Backfire, Peterson Connects with Record of Success on the Farm Bill
National Republicans’ attempts to smear Congressman Peterson’s record have backfired. The Star-Tribune endorsed Collin Peterson for re-election, writing that Westrom “has little to show for 18 years in the Legislature beyond his partisan zeal for the 2011 government shutdown.” And in endorsing Peterson, the Fargo Forum wrote that “No one in Congress – and we mean no one – knows more about farm policy and the mechanics of farm legislation than Peterson.” Both newspapers credited Peterson for helping to break the gridlock in Congress and finally get a Farm Bill passed.
Westrom Enters Closing Weeks on Defense
Sen. Westrom, meanwhile, enters the final week of the campaign on defense on his record of shutting down the Minnesota government and taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer reimbursements. Westrom “was named the seventh-highest expense collector in the Minnesota Senate in 2013 — more than doubling his annual salary in per diems, mileage, housing and travel expenses.” What’s more, Westrom also took more than $300,000 in reimbursements from the taxpayers over his two decades in St Paul, according to the Star-Tribune.
Conclusion: Peterson Connects with Independent Voters, in Strong Position to Win Re-election
Whether it’s his leadership in passing a Farm Bill that not only cut the deficit but supports 16 million jobs across the country or his history of working across the aisle, Rep. Collin Peterson has demonstrated that he shares the values of his district, and is in a strong position to win his re-election campaign.