From Roll Call: Minnesota Blue Dog Isn't Ready to Give Up His District - Collin Peterson’s seat will almost certainly flip when he retires

Not that many Blue Dog Democrats can be found anymore - these were brought in one of my classes recently. This is one of the last of a dying breed of conservative Democrats.

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Collin C. Peterson is the last thing keeping Minnesota’s 7th District blue.

Democrats are always worried that the 13-term congressman is going to retire. Because if he does, his heavily agricultural district will almost certainly send a Republican to Congress.

But Peterson, one of the original and last surviving Blue Dog Democrats in the House, is giving no hints of slowing down. In fact, the 72-year-old says he’s enjoying Congress more these days, which likely comes as good news to Democrats already looking to minimize House losses in the 2018 midterms.

“As long as I think I’m making a difference, I’ll probably keep going,” Peterson said in an interview last week at a fish fry for his Democratic-Farmer-Labor colleague, 8th District Rep. Rick Nolan.

Peterson said he’s had a better time in Congress the last couple of years because his attitude has changed slightly.

“I lightened up a little bit,” Peterson said. “I just figured there’s so much stuff I can’t do anything about anyway, so I just pay attention to what I can do something about and don’t worry about the rest of it.”

For more on Blue Dogs:

- A BRIEF HISTORY OF: Blue Dog Democrats.
- What is a Blue Dog Democrat?
- Yellow Dog and Blue Dog Democrats.
- Bye-bye, blue dog “Democrats”: What the end of conservative Dems means for America.