MICHELLE FISCHBACH

Protesters in Willmar say message to Rep. Fischbach is ‘listen to your constituents’

Dale Morin — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 00:00:26 GMT

WILLMAR, Minn. — Protesters gathered Tuesday outside U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach’s Willmar office to express concern about the purging of federal agencies ordered by the Trump administration, as well as dissatisfaction with their U.S. representative.

Fischbach represents Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District, which covers most of western Minnesota and has district offices in Moorhead and Willmar.

Tuesday’s protest was the second recent protest at the congresswoman’s office in Willmar; people braved subzero temperatures Feb. 19 to “express extreme concern and outrage for Trump and Elon Musk’s unlawful, undemocratic takeover of the federal government,” according to the statement from Indivisible Kandiyohi County at the time.

The early evening protest was conducted hours before Trump gave a speech to a joint session of Congress.

News outlet Politico reported Tuesday morning that Congressman Richard Hudson, R-North Carolina, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, told Republican lawmakers to stop holding in-person town hall meetings with their constituents. The outlet cited three anonymous sources for its reporting of what was said in a closed-door meeting of House Republicans.

The news came after weeks of town hall meetings in Republican-led districts began making headlines across the nation, as citizens expressed anger and concerns mostly focused on the broad cuts the Department of Government Efficiency had been making at the behest of Elon Musk, and other sweeping orders from the Trump White House.

So far, Republican lawmakers, including Fischbach, have been dismissive of the backlash. She said in a radio interview last week that previous protests in Moorhead and Willmar were “garbage.”

“I’m sure someone is financing that garbage. If the paper reports on that, I want them to ask them where they’re from, because I’m betting money they’re not from the 7th District,” she said.

According to a flier shared online to promote Tuesday’s protest in Willmar, among the calls to action is to call Fischbach’s local office to demand a town hall meeting and a retraction of her statement regarding the protests in her own district.

Some of the people in attendance Tuesday carried signs stating where they live, some shouted out the name of their city during a call-out, and the West Central Tribune spoke to others directly. Cities represented include Atwater, Granite Falls, New London, Pennock, Raymond, Spicer, Willmar and Comfrey, all of which are located in the 7th District.

A spokesperson from Fischbach’s office provided a statement from the congresswoman via email Thursday morning.

“The First Amendment is critical to a democracy and, although I don’t agree with the protesters, they are free to peacefully demonstrate,” the statement reads.

The protest was organized by Indivisible Kandiyohi County. A spokesperson for the group, Rita Buntje of Spicer, told the West Central Tribune at the protest that many non-members, including conservatives who didn’t want to be mentioned, were in attendance at the demonstration.

Buntje said more than 300 people were in attendance, and she categorized them as a “group of concerned citizens.”

The League of Women Voters also helped the group get the word out about Tuesday’s protest.

Lynn Dwyer, of New London, held a sign expressing her concern over Medicaid and Social Security.

“We’ve paid into these things our entire working careers, and we deserve to have them when we retire or when we’re sick,” she said.

Dwyer said the one thing she would say to Fischbach would be to “meet with your constituents and listen to our concerns because we’re very worried and scared about the future.”

According to Reuters, Republicans are trying to pass a spending bill that could significantly slash spending on popular social programs, including the Medicaid health insurance plan for low-income people, to pay for Trump’s desired tax cut plan. House Republicans directed the committee that oversees both Medicaid and Medicare, which serves elderly Americans, to find some $880 billion in spending cuts over 10 years.

Jack Vogel and his wife, Becky, drove approximately 75 miles one way through a snowstorm for the demonstration. Comfrey is about 35 miles southeast of Redwood Falls, within the 7th District of Minnesota.

“It can’t continue this way,” Jack Vogel said. “These tariffs are just another tax for all of us; we can’t afford any more taxes.”

“We thought we were a democracy, not a dictatorship,” Becky Vogel said.

Asked if they had anything to say to Fischbach, both said that she should “do her job.”

Jack Vogel clarified: “Quit voting on party lines. We could have put a monkey up there to vote on party lines,” he said. “Do your job and keep the Constitution the way it’s supposed to be.”

Erik Stoeckeler, of Morris, gave a speech to the crowd shortly before the end of the protest. Stoeckeler is with Indivisible Morris.

“I’m not a politician, I just started getting active when I saw what I believed to be a coup,” he said, referencing all the executive orders from the White House along with its defiance of previous court orders.

Stoeckeler said if given the opportunity, he would tell Fischbach to create a coalition of Republicans in the U.S. House to “stand up for the Constitution” and the checks and balances it provides to the federal government. He said he wished Republican lawmakers would join Democrat counterparts in demanding that Trump stop doing things like freezing funds already allocated by Congress.

“I don’t know what Congress can do as far as the fact he (Trump) is not obeying court orders,” he said. “Anything they could do to get him to operate within the bounds of the Constitution.”

Stoeckeler said he works at a hospital and so far has not seen any changes on the ground, but that could soon change.

“We are a small critical-access hospital, which large parts come from Medicaid, and there’s talk of Medicaid cuts,” he said.

He explained the cuts will have more of an impact on health care access in small rural communities, including nursing homes, because those are all heavily funded by Medicaid.

“That’s why my message is pro-unity and pro-democracy. At this point, I don’t see it as a being right versus left. It has to be right and left versus billionaire oligarchs that are trying to turn our country into a dictatorship,” Stoeckeler said.

The protest was originally set to be held right outside Fischbach’s office at 2211 First St. S. but had to move to the sidewalk along First Street. Organizers were advised that Fischbach’s office had notified the realty company of Tuesday’s protest, and a manager of the company told organizers that area is considered private property.

District offices are generally open to the public to provide constituent services, though the Willmar office was not open for business at the time of the 5 p.m. protest.

Organizers in a Facebook post had advised demonstrators to remain peaceful at all times.

“We need to be very mindful that we do not block in vehicles, people getting in and out of their vehicles, parking places or businesses,” the post stated. Protesters were also advised not to step into the street and to stay in public areas along First Street.

The West Central Tribune observed no problems with any business driveways.

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DFL calls on Minnesota Republicans in Congress to release Gaetz ethics report

Mary Murphy — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 22:07:42 GMT

ST.PAUL — The Minnesota DFL called on Republican members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation Thursday to release the ethics report regarding outgoing Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz and the sexual misconduct allegations against him.

The DFL made the request for action in a press release on Thursday, Nov. 14, one day after Gaetz was tapped as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. attorney general.

In its press release, the DFL says Minnesota GOP representatives have a unique position to push for the release of Gaetz’s ethics report. Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer is the third highest-ranking member of the House, and Rep. Michelle Fischbach sits on the House Ethics Committee.

Gaetz was the subject of a sex trafficking investigation by the Department of Justice from 2020 to 2021, and the House of Representatives Ethics Committee has been investigating sexual misconduct and drug use allegations against Gaetz since 2021. If Gaetz’s appointment is approved by Congress, he will lead the Department of Justice.

Hours after being announced as Trump’s pick for attorney general, Gaetz resigned his seat in Congress. The DFL said in its press release that the resignation was an attempt “to try to block the release of the report,” which was scheduled to be released on Friday.

“The fact that Gaetz’s abrupt resignation came two days before the ethics report was supposed to be released raises serious concerns about what the report was going to say,” said DFL Chair Ken Martin. “If Minnesota Republicans are confident that Matt Gaetz has the character required to be attorney general, they should prove it by releasing this report.”

Martin alleged that the Minnesota representatives likely know what is within the ethics report, and not releasing it to the public would be an effort to hide something.

“The Republicans in Minnesota’s congressional delegation hold critical roles on the ethics committee and in party leadership, and they almost certainly know what this ethics report says,” he said. “If they refuse to tell the public what’s in it, it’s because they have something to hide.”

Emmer praised the selection of Gaetz briefly on X, formerly Twitter, while Reps. Pete Stauber, Brad Finstad and Fischbach had not made any known public statements on the matter as of Thursday afternoon.

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Sharp differences separate Peters, Fischbach in Minnesota CD7 race

Tom Cherveny — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 15:23:53 GMT

FARGO — Voters in Minnesota’s Congressional District 7 will decide between two sharply contrasting candidates when it comes to the issues getting the most attention this election year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLQHAvrMYec

Two-term Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach promotes herself as among the most conservative in Congress, with the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. She is pro-life, pro-gun rights, wants to finish building the southern border wall to block illegal immigrants, and is an election doubter.

Her first major vote in office following her upset victory over longtime incumbent Collin Peterson was to overturn the results of the presidential election in 2020 by not accepting the electoral votes of Arizona and Pennsylvania.

Her Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party challenger, A.J. Peters, of the Browerville area, is pro-choice, supports some gun restrictions such as background checks, opposes a border wall, and supports legal immigration as crucial to the agricultural economy of the district. He supports sending absentee ballots to every registered voter.

These differences and more were on full display when the two sparred in a televised debate hosted Tuesday night in Fargo, North Dakota, by Prairie Public, a broadcaster of public television and radio. Immigration, tariffs, government spending and Social Security were among the topics on which they challenged one another.

“We need to distinguish between legal immigration and illegal immigration,” Fischbach said in defending her calls for closing the border to illegal immigration.

Peters charged that Fischbach voted against bipartisan legislation that would have strengthened border security by adding more agents.

The two differed as well on how to protect Social Security. Peters said he wants reforms that would allow employees to pay more in a plan that he said would ensure the long-term solvency of the Social Security trust fund. Fischbach wants reform too, but said Democrats need to quit using “scare tactics” and come to the table to work on solutions.

“We cannot or will not make cuts to current recipients,” Fischbach said of protecting Social Security.

“(Her) key word is ‘current’ recipients,” Peters charged in response, stating that he wants to assure the long-term viability of the safety net for future recipients.

Fischbach focused much of her attacks during the debate on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris while emphasizing her calls for less government spending, more scrutiny of funding to Ukraine, support for Israel, and reductions in government regulations.

Peters said the district needs someone to speak up for rural interests and not those of large corporations. He argued for tax breaks for low- and middle-income wage earners in place of the 2017 tax breaks for businesses adopted during the Trump administration.

Fischbach is seeking a third term in Congress. After toppling Peterson in 2020, she cruised to victory by a wide margin in 2022 over her DFL opponent, Jill Abahsain. She is strongly favored in this matchup as well.

Peters acknowledged his disadvantage in an interview with Forum Communications. While he said his mission is to win, he also noted that he would consider it a minor success to increase the Democratic vote from 27% in 2022 to 35% or even 45%.

Peters maintains that his views are much more in tune with those of western Minnesota residents in the large and rural district than are his opponent’s, but said his Democratic Party label is his disadvantage. He feels national Democrats ignored rural areas and really “dropped the ball” by not looking out for farmers in trade deals.

On agriculture, Fischbach argues that farmers and ranchers face “unnecessary challenges that hamper their ability to bring their goods to the market,” according to her campaign website. She wants better trade deals, supports rebuilding infrastructure, more workforce training, and opposes Green New Deal initiatives.

Peters said he supports finding new markets for agricultural products and more sensible regulations. He is making agriculture central to his campaign, and pointed out that he is a member of both the Farm Bureau and Farmers Union in Minnesota.

“We have to stand firm for the farmers, for the small as well as the big farmers,” he said.

He points out that his opponent is not serving on the House Agriculture Committee, which he would make a priority. And he said Fischbach is part of a Congress that has failed to pass a new Farm Bill and created uncertainty for agriculture.

During the televised debate, Fischbach said a Farm Bill has been approved in the House but the Democrat-controlled Senate has not advanced a bill. Peters said the House has not taken a floor vote on a Farm Bill.

Fischbach is staunch in her defense of the Second Amendment and has a lifetime “A” rating from the National Rifle Association. “The United States Constitution is unambiguous: our right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed,” she states in her campaign positions.

“I think it is terrible when ‘shall not be infringed’ becomes more important than a kid’s life in a school,” Peters told the West Central Tribune.

“I am not anti-gun, I am anti-crazy gun,” he said of his views on the Second Amendment. His wife, Kathleen, was injured by a firearm as a young child when she and her brother found a loaded gun underneath a bed.

“I believe in keeping guns safe. I don’t see any reason I need a gun that shoots 50 rounds a minute,” he said.

Peters said women’s rights are one of the central issues he raises on the campaign trail. He feels that the Democratic Party’s selection of Harris has boosted support for his own campaign from young women in the district.

Peters, 76, is making his first bid for Congress. He ran unsuccessfully in state Senate races in 2020 and 2022 against Republicans Paul Gazelka and Paul Utke.

A native of Shelby, Iowa, he owns and operates a computer repair business in Long Prairie. He earned bachelor’s degrees from Dana College and the University of Nebraska-Omaha, and began his working career as an intern on the first moon landing.

He has been an educator, business owner, research scientist, technical consultant and manager. He serves as chair of the Hands of Hope Resource Center for domestic abuse victims and chair of the Todd County Broadband Coalition, according to his website.

Fischbach, 58, of Regal, and her husband, Scott, are parents to two grown children. She grew up in Woodbury, and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from St. Cloud State and a Juris Doctor degree from William Mitchell �� of Law. She was elected to the Paynesville City Council in 1994 and two years later won a special election to join the Minnesota Legislature.

She served in the Minnesota Senate from 1996 through 2018, and as lieutenant governor in 2018-2019. In Congress, she holds seats on the Ways & Means and Rules committees.

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Minnesota's 7th District deserves better than the options on the ballot

FCC Editorial Advisory Board — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 11:09:00 GMT

The race for western Minnesota’s 7th District is a choice between a career politician — Rep. Michelle Fischbach, of Paynesville — and AJ (John) Peters, a political rookie and small business owner and educator from Long Prairie.

Neither presents much of a choice for 7th District voters.

Fischbach has spent the past three decades serving first on the Paynesville City Council, then in the Minnesota Senate and then in the U.S. Congress, plus serving an unelected term as Minnesota Lieutenant Governor. Apparently, she does not believe in term limits.

In 2020, Fischbach was elected to Congress. Since then, she has continued to avoid media across the state.

In June, she met with Marshall area businesspeople and officials, but the press was not allowed to attend. In June, she met with local leaders in East Grand Forks, but again the press was not allowed in the meeting. In July, a Forum Communications Co. reporter asked for an interview before the Republican primary and she declined to be interviewed. She routinely holds meetings around the state without media notification, but sends out news releases afterward.

Fischbach continually sends out email releases criticizing Democrats and promoting her Congressional work efforts. Seldom does she allow the press present at events to ask even a single question.

Fischbach talks to the press less than Vice President Kamala Harris. One wonders what Fischbach is so afraid of?

Though she is only one member of Congress, she has had virtually no impact on passing a new farm bill — or even getting an extension of the current bill, which expired in September 2023. She certainly has not been as effective as former Rep. Collin Peterson on farm bill legislation.

At the 7th District GOP Convention earlier this year, Fischbach could not even secure her district party’s endorsement, although she did go on to win in the GOP primary in August. Are Republicans starting to wonder if Fischbach puts herself first instead of representing the people of her district? Is she starting to look like a career politician?

Finally, Fischbach, as a freshman congressperson, put her party first in joining the majority of Republicans in Congress to dispute the 2020 presidential election outcome and back then-President Donald Trump’s effort to stay in power despite losing the election.

Her vote to support Donald Trump’s baseless election claims was shameful.

Following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, some Republican members of Congress were shocked at the attempted coup. Fischbach was not among those Republican members who reversed their vote on the 2020 presidential election outcome. That, in itself, disqualifies Fischbach from our endorsement, as she failed her oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution. Frankly, just as in 2022, Fischbach has not earned our endorsement for re-election. More importantly, she certainly does not deserve it.

Peters has run a computer repair business in Long Prairie since 1989. He ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in 2020 and 2022, so he has no legislative experience. A Browerville resident, he has lived in the district for a long time. He and his wife, Kathy, have campaigned around the district since January, but has not gained much political traction. His political website outlines his three basic missions:

Believe in civil rights for all; Focus on farming and small business; and Prioritize practical solutions that work

As a senior citizen himself, he also cites the need to fight age discrimination.

This DFL candidate does not display a lot of political depth.

As such, neither the GOP’s Fischbach nor the DFL’s Peters has earned our endorsement in the Minnesota 7th District race.

This endorsement represents the opinion of Forum Communications Co. management and the FCC Editorial Advisory Board.]]>

Steve Boyd seeks GOP primary upset of Congresswoman Fischbach in MN 7th District

Tom Cherveny — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 22:22:00 GMT

WILLMAR — Michelle Fischbach won her seat in Congress in 2020 by upsetting 15-term DFL incumbent Collin Peterson.

Now running for her third term, the Republican incumbent is facing a primary challenge from a candidate hopeful of pulling off an upset to match hers.

Steve Boyd, of Kensington, Minnesota, enters the Republican primary never having held an elected office, and having sworn off funding from special interests or political action committees.

In contrast, Fischbach’s experience includes serving in the Minnesota Senate from 1996 through 2018, and as lieutenant governor in 2018 and 2019. In Congress, she holds seats on the powerful Ways & Means and Rules committees.

The Aug. 13 primary determines which of the two will be on the ballot in November against A.J. Peters, the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party's endorsed candidate.

Early primary voting began June 28 and continues through Aug. 12, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office.

Boyd’s political accomplishment to date: He prevented the congresswoman from getting her party’s endorsement at the Republican Seventh Congressional District Convention earlier this year in Morton. It’s no small feat, he points out, especially when considering that Fischbach has maintained a conservative voting record throughout her tenure in the most conservative of Minnesota’s congressional districts.

“I think we have a strong chance to surprise a lot of people,” Boyd, 39, told Forum Communications Co. in a recent interview.

He holds his optimism despite a poll released by Fischbach’s campaign showing she holds a 57% to 22% advantage.

“That’s a big gap for an underdog campaign to close,” said David Sturrock, a professor of political science at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall who is active in Republican Party politics.

He said Boyd has been conducting a “vigorous campaign,” but that national conservative support for him has not materialized.

Fischbach has not been ignoring the threat he might pose, either.

“Beyond her own in-person campaigning, Fischbach has aired television and digital ads and sent numerous direct mail pieces which feature her endorsement by Donald Trump and emphasize border security, gun owner rights and pro-life positions,” Sturrock pointed out in an email.

Boyd dismisses the polling as not being conducted well. More to the point, he said he’s not expecting to win the primary with support from the establishment Republicans that the polling targeted.

Boyd said he’s looking for his support from Republicans who are not always on the radar screen; many of them are raising young families and too busy to be involved in party activities, he said.

He believes he can get them to the polls on Aug. 13. They are frustrated with politics as usual, and looking for someone who will put principles before party and politics, he said.

Boyd has been referred to as a Christian conservative. He said that his faith and Christian values are important to him, and voters should know that.

He grew up the son of a minister with the Seventh-day Adventists, and a mother whom he said was very interested in politics. On his own, he took on studies in biblical citizenship and the U.S. Constitution offered by the Patriot Academy. Begun by a former Texas state lawmaker, the leadership training program's stated mission is to educate citizen leaders to "help restore our Constitutional Republic and the Biblical principles that cause a Nation to thrive."

Boyd, 39, and his wife, Talitha, are parents to five children ages 9 to 19, three of them adopted. He earned a degree in sales and marketing management from the Alexandria Technical & Community College. He owns his own fertilizer and lawn care business. The couple home-schooled their children.

Fischbach, 58, of Regal, and her husband, Scott, are parents to two grown children. She grew up in Woodbury, and earned a bachelor's degree in political science from St. Cloud State and a Juris Doctor from William Mitchell �� of Law. She was elected to the Paynesville City Council in 1994 and two years later won a special election to join the state Legislature.

Boyd and Fischbach hold nearly identical conservative positions on issues ranging from abortion to a belief in limiting the role of government. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Fischbach. Boyd said he supports the former president. “Fully, especially in this election,” he said.

For Boyd, the biggest difference between him and his opponent is his frustration with “how we do politics. ... We play a lot of games,” said Boyd, who charges that elected officials put staying in office and party first.

He charges that while Fischbach has maintained a conservative score card in Congress, her actions are more important than her votes. As a member of the House Rules Committee, she cast the deciding vote in moving an amendment on foreign aid legislation forward despite being able to cast a "no" vote for it in the House for the record, he said.

He also underscores what he considers other differences between himself and Fischbach. She rarely hosts town hall meetings or public sessions with constituents, visiting and touring with special interest and other groups in private, he said.

Boyd pledged that if elected, he would hold a town hall meeting in each of the district’s 38 counties every year. He’s held more than 50 town hall meetings as part of his primary campaign to date, and has put on thousands of miles driving to summer parades in communities across the sprawling, rural district.

Boyd also pointed out that Fischbach does not serve on the House Agriculture Committee, despite the obvious importance of agriculture to the district. Boyd said serving on the Agriculture Committee, which Fischbach’s predecessor once chaired, would be a top priority for him.

Fischbach’s campaign team said she was too busy for an interview on the primary race. In a written response, the campaign team said she believes the country is at “pivotal point in history” with the possibility of a Republican trifecta in Washington D.C.

“With President Trump back in the White House, Congress must be bold with rolling back the excesses of federal spending and overreach,” she said in a statement.

The congresswoman said her goals are to curb inflation, close the border and pass immigration reform, and significantly deal with federal spending and the national debt.

“The good people of western Minnesota are hurting from fentanyl, rising prices, and feeling like they are falling behind,” she stated.

Boyd calls attention to his identical concerns about these issues as well, especially the debt. He said people have a sense of unease about the economy and fears that the “bubble will burst” with a national debt of $35 trillion clouding the future.

Sacrifices will be needed in the future to right the economic path, according to Boyd. He believes the country must look at programs such as Social Security, but emphasized that promises must be kept to those who have paid into it.

Boyd said he will not run a write-in campaign or throw wrenches into the process if he does not win in the primary.

Sturrock is among those who do not believe Boyd’s ability to stymie Fishbach in winning the party’s endorsement will matter in the long run.

“Both the Republican and DFL endorsements are losing their historic role in selecting nominees for state and federal office,” he explained. “Steve Boyd was able to mobilize and turn out delegates more interested in conservative issues and less impressed by incumbency, name recognition and fundraising. It is doubtful that the deadlock at the April 27 convention will have much influence on the Aug. 13 primary election.”

Win or lose, Boyd said he feels very good about the campaign and believes it will having a lasting impact on the party either way.

The winner of the primary — whether Fischbach or Boyd — is likely bound for Washington D.C. , according to Sturrock. He does not believe the Democrats can mount a serious challenge in the district.

“As Democrats have found many ways to lose support in rural areas, their candidates in greater Minnesota have become less competitive. Either Republican would figure to win comfortably in the 2024 general election,” he said.

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Fischbach fails to get GOP district party endorsement; race headed for August primary

Kelly Boldan — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 17:33:58 GMT

WILLMAR — Despite being endorsed by former President Donald Trump, U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach failed to gain the Republican Party endorsement Saturday over her outsider challenger, Steve Boyd, at the Minnesota Seventh Congressional District GOP Convention in Morton.

In a contentious Republican Party endorsement fight between Fischbach, of Regal, and Boyd, of Kensington, neither candidate gained the 60% needed for the endorsement after three rounds of voting. A convention vote approved a motion not to make an endorsement. Candidate Annette Watson had finished third in the first round of voting and then withdrew and endorsed Boyd, according to a Boyd campaign news release.

Both Fischbach and Boyd are now expected to proceed to the Aug. 13 primary election without the GOP endorsement. The primary winner will earn the Republican endorsement for the 7th District race in the November general election. Prior to Saturday's convention, Fischbach had rescinded her earlier pledge to abide by the 7th District GOP endorsement.

Saturday's "battle, while technically a stalemate, was really a victory for our grassroots campaign," Boyd said in a news release. "We were outspent by nearly 10-1 this quarter by (Fischbach's) establishment machine and she still didn't win."

Fischbach has said she was honored by Trump's endorsement.

"This time, we will be running as a team to expand a conservative Republican majority in the U.S. House and make history by delivering our 10 electoral votes," she said in a March statement.

Boyd is considered a political outsider because he has never held political office. Fischbach, a longtime political insider, is considered by many to be part of the Republican establishment. However, many Trump-aligned political activists in the district are backing Boyd over the incumbent Fischbach.

Other controversies occurred at the GOP's 7th District convention. According to a Boyd campaign news release, an Otter Tail county delegation of 37 was prohibited from voting at the convention. In addition, Boyd's campaign team has alleged that Republican Party officials have continued to withhold delegate information from the Boyd campaign while providing that information to the Fischbach campaign.

Fischbach is one of at least three GOP incumbents in Congress who failed to win their party's endorsement at GOP conventions Saturday. Rep. Blake Moore did not win the Utah GOP District 1 endorsement, and Rep. Celeste Maloy did not earn the Utah District 2 GOP endorsement, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

In the latest federal campaign filings, Fischbach outraised Boyd $224,000 to $67,000 from January to March. She spent just over $150,000 during that time period, while Boyd spent just over $64,000.

At the end of March, Fischbach had $385,730 in cash on hand and no debts, while Boyd had $23,241 in cash on hand and $5,000 in debts.

Fischbach is seeking her third term as a U.S. representative. She defeated longtime Rep. Collin Peterson, a DFL'er from Detroit Lakes, in 2020. In Congress since 2021, she now serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, Rules Committee, Budget Committee, and Ethics Committee.

She previously served in the Minnesota Senate for 22 years and also as the 49th lieutenant governor of Minnesota, according to her congressional website. She has a bachelor's degree in political science from St. Cloud State University and a law degree from Willmar Mitchell College of Law. She and her husband have two grown children and six grandchildren.

Boyd has been a small-business owner in Kensington since 2015, according to his campaign's website. He has been a volunteer in youth sports, civic groups and in his local church. He and his wife have five children.

Watson is an Iowa native, who moved to Minnesota in 2005, according to her campaign's website. She has lived in Morris since 2018. She and her husband have five children.

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How Reps. Kelly Armstrong, Michelle Fischbach voted on aid bills for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

Ingrid Harbo — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 22:37:01 GMT

WASHINGTON — U.S. representatives from North Dakota and western Minnesota voted in line with a majority of party members against a foreign aid package for Ukraine.

On Saturday, April 20, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $95 billion foreign aid package. Along with a bill that would provide nearly $61 billion in aid for Ukraine, the package includes bills that would provide $8.1 billion in funding to allies in the Indo-Pacific region to deter China and $17 billion in weapons for Israel, paired with $9 billion for humanitarian assistance in Gaza.

Reps. Michelle Fischbach, who represents Minnesota’s District 7, and Kelly Armstrong, who represents all of North Dakota, were among 112 Republicans who voted against providing aid to Ukraine.

The bill passed 311-122, with seven members not voting and one member voting "present."

North Dakota Democratic-NPL Chair Adam Golwdyn called Armstrong’s vote against the bill “cowardly” in a statement.

“Armstrong is putting American and Ukrainian lives on the line as he grovels to extremists in the Republican Party,” Golwdyn said.

Fischbach and Armstrong both voted in favor of the bill that would provide $17 billion in weapons for Israel and $9 billion for humanitarian aid in Gaza.

The bill passed 366-58, with seven members of the House not voting.

Fischbach voted against the bill that would provide funding to U.S. allies and activities in the Indo-Pacific region to deter China, including Taiwan and countries that have supported Taiwan. Armstrong voted for it.

The bill passed with 385-34, with 11 members not voting and one member voting "present.”

The foreign aid package goes to the U.S. Senate for consideration next, before it may be sent to President Joe Biden.

Fischbach is running for reelection this year. Armstrong is running for North Dakota governor.

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Rep. Michelle Fischbach endorsed for re-election by former President Donald Trump

Shelby Lindrud — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 23:20:11 GMT

LITCHFIELD, Minn. — U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach, who represents Minnesota's District 7 in the United States House of Representatives and is running for re-election, obtained the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.

Trump, who is also the presumptive Republican nominee for president, said in a statement released Thursday on the social media platform Truth Social that Fischbach has done a "fantastic job" serving Minnesota District 7.

"Michelle Fischbach has my complete and total endorsement — she will never let you down," he said.

Fischbach, a Republican from Regal, said she was honored by Trump's endorsement and looks forward to working with him in the future.

"This time, we will be running as a team to expand a conservative Republican majority in the U.S. House and make history by delivering our 10 electoral votes," she said in a statement.

Fischbach is running for her third term in the House, having initially won the seat in 2020 by defeating Collin Peterson, the longtime Democrat incumbent. In Congress, she has served on the Ways and Means, Budget, Rules and Ethics committees.

Before her election to the House, Fischbach served as Minnesota's lieutenant governor and was the first woman to hold the office of President of the Minnesota Senate. She was a state senator from 1996 to 2018, representing the 14th and 13th districts.

Fischbach is facing a primary challenger in this year's election. Steve Boyd, a business owner from Kensington, announced his campaign in October 2023. Minnesota's primary takes place Aug. 13.

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7th District DFL endorses Jill Abahsain in bid to regain Congressional seat

Tom Cherveny — Sat, 14 May 2022 23:00:06 GMT

WILLMAR — Minnesota Democrats are looking to Jill Abahsain of Sauk Centre in their bid to defeat Republican Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach and return District 7 to the blue column.

Abahsain won the unanimous endorsement of Democrat-Farmer-Labor delegates Saturday at the Congressional District 7 convention held in Willmar.

In a video to the convention, Abahsain pledged to fight hard on the campaign trail. “It will be the beginning of taking back our CD7 seat,” she said. Collin Peterson had held the seat for 30 years until his defeat by Fischbach in the 2020 election.

Convention organizers said Abahsain was assisting a friend in hospice in British Columbia, Canada, when she agreed to seek the endorsement and could not attend the District 7 convention.

In her video, Abahsain said rural health care needs, education, and the advancement of small-town life, rural communities and family farms will be among her primary themes in the election.

She also cited justice and fairness concerns.

“There is now this theocratic mindset that is creeping into our legislative body as well as into our judicial rulings, as we’ve seen recently,” she said. “I’m going to fight tooth and nail to make sure this sort of theocratic manner of governance will not get into our system.”

Delegates from her home county of Stearns County nominated her and spoke about her background in education both in the U.S. and Middle East.

This is her second bid for public office. She ran unsuccessfully against Torrey Westrom for the state Senate District 12 seat in 2020.

“She was not intimidated by the Trumpsters honking and yelling during her campaign,” said Mitchel ‘Skip’ Manoski, who joined Verane Hasbergen, also of the Stearns County DFL party, in nominating Abahsain. “She will not be intimidated by anything that Michelle Fischbach throws at her.”

Abahsain, 68, is director of the Sauk Centre History Museum and Research Center. Her campaign website for her state legislative bid stated that she had followed an academic life into the Middle East. She was widowed in 2007, but continued to work as an editor and columnist for an English language newspaper in Egypt. She returned home after the Egyptian Revolution of 2010-11, and taught adult education in Alexandria.

Secretary of State Steve Simon and Leah Midgarden, treasurer for the DFL party in the state, were the two most prominent DFL’ers to speak in person to the estimated 150-plus attendees at the convention. Simon told the audience his concerns about the “cloud of disinformation” propagated about issues in the state. He told delegates he wanted their support. “They are coming after me,” he said.

Midgarden also expressed concerns about authoritarianism.

Abahsain’s interest in the DFL endorsement was not announced until the convention had gotten underway. There had been three candidates who had previously announced interest in the CD7 endorsement but opted out prior to the convention. The most known of the three was Mark Lindquist, who decided to work overseas to provide help to Ukraine instead of seeking office.

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Rep. Michelle Fischbach announces she will run for reelection

Robb Jeffries — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 02:48:30 GMT

MOORHEAD — U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach announced on Tuesday, Feb. 15, she will run for reelection in 2022.

Fischbach, a former lieutenant governor and state senator, defeated longtime Democratic incumbent Collin Peterson in the 2020 election to become the representative of Minnesota's Seventh Congressional District, which covers a large part of western Minnesota, from the Canadian border to the southern part of the state. The district includes the cities of Fergus Falls, Moorhead and Willmar.

Fischbach is serving her first term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

No other candidate is seeking the Republican nomination for November's general ballot. Three candidates are vying for Democratic-Farmer-Laborer endorsement: Mark Lindquist, Reed Olson and Ernest Oppegaard-Peltier. Travis Johnson is the sole candidate who has declared for the Libertarian primary.

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