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4th District: Betty McCollum


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When her daughter got hurt on a slide in a city park and the North St. Paul City Council would not fix the problem that led to the accident, Betty McCollum got involved in politics. She was elected to the city council on her second try.

In 1992 she ran for the state House of Representatives. District lines were being redrawn at the time so she ran against two incumbents. She beat them both. In office, she was a strong environmentalist who opposed Northern States Power when the utility sought permission to store spent nuclear waste in dry casks outside the plant. She advocated election reform, including allowing absentee voters to be able to vote without stating a reason they couldn't get to the polls. She had a 92 percent rating from the AFL/CIO and a 100 percent rating from the Sierra Club. She is in favor of abortion rights.

In 2004, McCollum faced Patrice Bataglia, a Dakota County commissioner. McCollum easily was re-elected with a 58%-to-33% victory. See election results for the 4th District.

According to Project Vote Smart, McCollum received these scores from special interest groups in 2005: NARAL (100%), National Association of Wheat Growers (40%), Humane Society (100%), National Taxpayers Union (17%), U.S. Chamber of Commerce (33%), NAACP (100%), National Education Association (100%), Family Research Council (0%), NOW (100%), Gun Owners of America (25%), American Public Health Association (100%). According to the National Journal, McCollum voted more liberal on economic, defense and foreign policy issues than 94 percent of the representatives. She voted more conservative on economic, defense and foreign policy issues than 6 percent of the representatives.

Candidate Bio

Betty McCollum
Political affiliation:
DFL Party
Born:
July 12, 1954
Minneapolis, MN.
Personal:
Divorced. Mother of adult son and daughter, Sean and Katie. Catholic. Resides in St. Paul
Occupation:
Former teacher. Current congresswoman
Education:
Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of St. Catherine, majoring in social studies and minoring in political science.
Major political experience:
Current congresswoman from the 4th District, Former state legislator, Former member of North St. Paul City Council.

On the Issues

Audio Budget (2/10/06)

Campaign Finances

Total contributions:
$492,101
Total disbursements
$420,940
Cash on hand
$195,227

Source: Federal Election Commission
October 2006

Links & Resources

Web site:
Document mccollumforcongress.com

Candidate Pages

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Familiar names face off in the 8th District race this year. Long-time incumbent Democrat Jim Oberstar faces a challenge from Republican Rod Grams, the former TV news anchor who served both in the U.S. House and Senate. (10/02/2006)
The three candidates for Congress in Minnesota's 6th district offered distinctly different views and sharp exchanges on health care, taxes and the war in Iraq in a debate Thursday night. (09/21/2006)
The candidates for Minnesota's 6th Congressional District seat met for their first debate before a large audience Monday night in St. Cloud. (09/19/2006)
The three major-party candidates running for Congress in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District met in their first debate since Tuesday's primary. (09/15/2006)
Alan Fine is trying to do what Keith Ellison's DFL rivals couldn't: capitalize on reports of Ellison's past. Fine calls Ellison "unfit" to serve. (09/13/2006)
The seat has been dominated by DFLers for decades, but Ellison's Republican opponent in November says he'll question Ellison's character, a campaign theme that was used over the summer by Ellison's DFL opponents. (09/13/2006)
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Former DFL Party Chair Mike Erlandson is touting the endorsement of one of the leading critics of the war in Iraq in an attempt to distinguish himself among the DFLers running for Minnesota's 5th Congressional District seat. (09/01/2006)
Midday hosts a live Minnesota State Fair debate between four of the DFL candidates hoping to succeed U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo in the House of Representatives. (Midday, 08/24/2006)
The DFL candidates in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District are busy campaigning just weeks before primary election day. Four of them will appear at debate at the Minnesota State Fair with the hopes of attracting DFL support. (08/24/2006)
President Bush mixed policy and politics into a four and a half hour trip to Minnesota Tuesday. The president led a panel discussion on health care in Minnetonka and later appeared at a fundraiser for Republican congressional candidate Michele Bachmann in Wayzata. (08/23/2006)
U.S. Rep. Gil Gutknecht will keep his place on the Sept. 12 primary election ballot after the state Supreme Court swiftly turned back a challenge to the petitions he used to qualify. (08/22/2006)
Increasing crime in Minneapolis is fueling concerns about public safety in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, which includes the city and several suburbs. Candidates in the race for that seat are responding with a string of public safety proposals. One DFLer has even gotten the endorsement of Hennepin County's Republican sheriff. (08/01/2006)
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