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Republicans renew House control [UPDATED]
Published 9:56am Wednesday, November 7, 2012 Updated 12:10pm Wednesday, November 7, 2012With the election over, incumbent Seventh District Rep. Collin Peterson, who returns for a 12th term, was obviously pleased with the outcome and just wants to get back to work.
Peterson overwhelmingly defeated Republican Lee Byberg, 126,615 (60.44 percent) to 73,221 (34.95 percent).
“I hope that (the election) gets everything out of everybody’s system and we can refocus on the issues and get things done. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”
Peterson’s priority upon returning to Washington, he said, is working on the farm bill.
“(Republican) Leaders are finally willing to get it on the floor,” he said. “I think we have the votes, there’s a few things to work out, but my whole focus will be to get it done. It’s a good bill.”
Once the farm bill is off his plate, Peterson said he will be ready to tackle other issues.
“Once we get (the farm bill) done, I can be helpful in getting the deficit cleared up,” he said.
Peterson, however, won’t be going back to a Democratic majority in the House.
Republicans recaptured control of the House early Wednesday, besting Democrats in a billion-dollar battle and ensuring that the chamber will be dominated by their conservative agenda. Reacting to President Barack Obama’s re-election, House Speaker John Boehner said voters want both parties to find common ground on repairing the economy.
Byberg agrees with Boehner’s sentiments.
He wasn’t as concerned over his loss, as the two parties finding compromise on the issues, he said.
“It’s going to take a different kind of leadership that will bring Democrats and Republicans together and not try to find compromise on something that’s bad, but find solutions that are good,” Byberg said.
With more than 90 percent of the 435 House races called by The Associated Press, Republicans had won 227 seats and were leading in 9 more. For a majority in the chamber, a party must control 218 seats. Democrats had won 176 seats and were leading in 21 others.
By early Wednesday in the East, Democrats had knocked off 12 GOP House members — including 10 members of the huge tea party-backed House GOP freshman class of 2010. Republican losers included four incumbents from Illinois, two each from New Hampshire and New York, and one apiece from Florida, Maryland, Minnesota and Texas.
