Nov 6, 2020

Collin Peterson, House ag committee chairman, loses re-election

Republican challenger and former Minnesota Lt. Gov. Michelle Fischbach, with 54% of the vote, won over Peterson, ending a 30-year Congressional tenure for Peterson, 76, a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

Ag-focused super PACs donated significant funds to support Peterson’s 2020 campaign, reported Politico and MinnPost recently.

“Throughout his career, Chairman Peterson has been one of the strongest voices in Congress for American growers and the entire U.S. agriculture community,” said Kam Quarles, CEO, National Potato Council. “During a time of hyper-partisanship, his fair-minded, bipartisan approach to governing has been a breath of fresh air, and, regardless of yesterday’s outcome, he will always be a champion for the potato industry and all of agriculture. He leaves big shoes to fill on the House Agriculture Committee.”

Peterson’s defeat means there will be a new chairman of the ag committee when Congress is sworn in come January. With Democrats maintaining the majority in the House, the next chair will be a Democrat. After Peterson, the longest-tenured Democratic committee members are David Scott of Georgia and Jim Costa of California, both of whom easily won reelection.

– Zeke Jennings, VGN Correspondent

Above, Minnesota Congressman Collin Peterson speaks at the unveiling of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s official portrait at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington, D.C. on Thursday Dec. 1, 2016. Photo: USDA/Tom Witham