Talking Points: Bachmann Faces Her Toughest Race Yet
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- This week, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's campaign announced she raised $4.5 million for her re-election bid in the third quarter.
That is more than any other Member of Congress. Bachmann is facing what she is calling her toughest race yet against hotel executive Jim Graves.
In tonight's Talking Points, Esme Murphy looks at the odds of her being re-elected.
When all the congressional districts boundaries were redrawn this year, Congresswoman Bachmann got a good break and a bad break.
The good break for her is that the new 6th District is widely regarded as even more conservative than the old 6th. That bad break is that her home near Stillwater is no longer in the 6th.
Now it is perfectly legal to run in a district that you don't live in and so far her residency has not been a major campaign issue.
But her opponent Jim Graves has made an issue of her Presidential bid, saying the Congresswoman cares more about her future on the national stage than representing Minnesotans. Congresswoman Bachmann appeared this morning on WCCO Sunday Morning.
"I made a distinct contribution in the Presidential race and that is something Minnesotans have been proud of and that I have been proud of, too but while I was conducting the Presidential race, I kept a laser-like focus on my district," she said. "The number one item that people wanted accomplished -- is something we have been trying to accomplish for decades and we did it -- was my bill to build the new Stillwater Bridge crossing across the St. Croix River."
Last month, Jim Graves released his own campaign poll that showed him just two points behind the Congresswoman. But so far, no independent poll had been conducted in the 6th District.
You can watch WCCO Sunday Morning with Esme Murphy and Matt Brickman at 6 a.m. and again at 10:30 a.m. every Sunday.
