Incumbents win congressional primary challenges

Incumbent DFLers Betty McCollum, James Oberstar and Keith Ellison have won primary challenges in their campaigns for re-election to U.S. Congress. Here are the results from the congressional districts which had primary races.

2nd District:

Former state Rep. Shelley Madore defeated the Democratic Party's endorsed candidate to win her primary. Madore beat Dan Powers, a construction contractor who had the endorsement.

She goes on to face Republican Rep. John Kline, who is seeking his fifth term in the November election.

4th District:

Democratic incumbent Rep. Betty McCollum has advanced to the general election in her pursuit of a sixth term representing her district, which covers parts of the east metro.

McCollum withstood a primary challenge from Diana Longrie, an attorney and former Maplewood mayor.

McCollum will face Republican Teresa Collett, a University of St. Thomas law professor who beat Jack Shepard in the GOP primary. Shepard is a fugitive felon who has been out of the country for more than 25 years but has repeatedly run for office in absentia.

5th District:

Rep. Keith Ellison cruised to victory in the Democratic primary for his metro-area district in Congress.

Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress when he won in 2006, beat minister Barb Davis White and Gregg Iverson, a frequent candidate who challenged Ellison in the primary two years ago.

In November, Ellison will face Republican Joel Demos, Independence Party candidate Tom Schrunk and independents Lynne Torgerson and Michael James Cavlan.

6th District:

Democrat Tarryl Clark easily won against a dropout candidate in the party's primary, and now looks ahead to a November matchup with Republican U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann.

Clark, a state senator, hasn't had any opposition since physician Maureen Reed dropped out of the race in June. That was a few days too late for Reed's name to be taken off the ballot.

Bachmann is looking for her third term in the 6th, which covers all or most of Anoka, Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, Washington and Wright counties.

The Bachmann-Clark race will be one of the nation's most expensive House races.

7th District:

Republicans have chosen Lee Byberg to face Democratic U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson in November. Byberg, a Willmar businessman, turned back Alan Roebke in the primary.

Peterson is seeking an 11th term in the 7th District, which covers most of western Minnesota. He heads the influential House Agriculture Committee.

Independence Party candidate Glen Menze and independent Gene Waldorf are also running.

8th District:

Incumbent Democrat Jim Oberstar is an easy primary winner as he tries for an 18th term representing his northeastern Minnesota district.

Oberstar beat W.D. "Bill" Hamm, a frequent candidate who heads a group called the Freedom Coalition of Minnesota.

Oberstar is one of the most senior members of Congress. He heads the powerful House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

He will face Republican Chip Cravaack, IP candidate Timothy Olson and the Constitution Party's Richard "George" Burton.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)