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Capitol View®
Tom Scheck

GOP field for 6th District race taking shape

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Republican Tom Emmer appears to be ready to announce his candidacy for Congress on Wednesday. The Elk River Star News reported that Emmer was campaigning in Elk River on Monday with a film crew in tow.

State Sen. John Pederson, R-St. Cloud, is also getting ready to run for the seat. Pederson said that he formed an exploratory committee and is likely to file the necessary paperwork by the end of the month. He said he's going to tell delegates that he's focused on fiscal issues in his campaign and suggested Republican delegates remember who they're representing.

"I'm a fiscal conservative first," Pederson said. "It's important for delegates to remember that they represent all of the Republicans in the district when they're elected as a delegate."

Pederson's announcement was first reported by the St. Cloud Times.

A number of Republicans expressed interest in the 6th Congressional District race after Rep. Michele Bachmann announced last week that she would not run for re-election next year.

Some of those potential candidates are now taking their names off the list. State Rep. Peggy Scott, R-Andover and former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch, R-Buffalo said today that they aren't running.

"My family has always come first and the timing of this opportunity is just not best for us," Scott wrote in an e-mail.

"There are many ways to serve, of course, and my decision today simply means that this race, at this time, is not the best way for me to serve," Koch said in a statement.

State Sen. Michelle Benson, Ham-Lake, announced on Monday that she's not running either.

No Democrat has expressed interest in running for the seat since businessman Jim Graves announced on Friday that he was dropping out of the race.