In 7th District, a conservative Republican faces a primary challenge — from the right
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Two-term U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach carved out a solidly conservative reputation at the state Capitol before winning a western Minnesota congressional seat four years ago. Yet some in her party don’t think Fischbach is conservative enough, and they’re backing challenger Steve Boyd in Minnesota’s Aug. 13 primary.
The winner will be heavily favored to secure the seat in November.
“She’s doing great,” said Janet Alseben of Glencoe, who attended a recent fundraiser for Fischbach and other GOP candidates at a community center in Arlington, about an hour west of the Twin Cities. People were also drawn by an appearance from a big Donald Trump defender in Congress, Ohio U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan.
While the presidential race is top of mind for most voters, those gathered at the community center said they want to make sure Fischbach prevails in her primary against newcomer Steve Boyd. Alseben said she welcomes the competition if it pushes the incumbent to become “stronger and more conservative.”
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“As long as she stands up for biblical principles and conservative principles, I think it’s great,” she said.
Boyd was able to successfully block the Republican Party’s endorsement of Fischbach at their convention. Neither mustered the votes necessary to win, but the congresswoman didn’t seem concerned about the endorsement situation when asked about it.
“I’m confident that my voting record speaks for itself,” Fischbach told MPR News.
It’s a voting record that gets high marks from conservative action groups like The Heritage Foundation. Her first big vote in Congress was to not certify the 2020 presidential election results and she has the backing of Donald Trump in her primary bid.
Fischbach has also been a leading advocate in the state of restricting abortion. However, she doesn’t think the Republican National Committee’s new platform, that doesn’t call for a federal ban on abortion, changes her cause.
“The platform is what President Trump wanted it to be,” Fischbach said. “I think that’s how he wanted to structure it this year but it does not in any way, shape or form lessen the commitment to mothers and children and the pro-life issue for the Republican Party.”
Abortion is one of the few issues where voters note a markedly different tone between the incumbent and the newcomer with Boyd calling for stronger federal restrictions.
“I do believe that life begins at conception and that if that’s true, which I do believe it is, and I believe God has a purpose and a value in every single life, if I believe that, then that doesn’t leave a lot of room for me to start to decide, you know, how many weeks it’s okay,” Boyd told MPR News.
Outside groups are helping to bolster Fischbach with TV ads. Still, his yard signs are everywhere in the countryside of this sprawling district — and so is he.
Boyd walks in a lot of parades and holds many meet-and-greets.
“My faith is incredibly important to me. That’s the foundation of everything I do, whether it’s politics, my life, my family, my business,” Boyd told a group of supporters at a recent park fundraiser in Dent. “This is something that I felt very called to do.”
People at the fundraiser said they’re ready for someone new to represent them in the U.S. House.
Georgette Wegscheid, a former Fischbach supporter, said she worked hard to get the congresswoman elected in 2020 when she defeated longtime Democratic Congressman Colin Peterson — then the House Agriculture Chair from a farm-heavy part of the country.
“(It was a) very big thing,” said Wegscheid. “He’d been in there forever. And we had high hopes, you know, it’s time for change. She had her chance.”
For that change to happen, Boyd would need to overcome Fischbach’s clear edge in fundraising and public recognition. And there’s not much time left before the Aug. 13 primary to do it.