Minnesota Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann may be planning a 2012 run for Senate — her office recently told The Hill that, “nothing’s off the table for the future.”
Though her office also said Bachmann has “no designs on a challenge to Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar,” Bachmann’s $13.2 million in campaign fundraising has sparked speculation that a Senate bid could soon be in the works.
State Republican Party Chairman Tony Sutton expressed confidence in Bachmann’s ability to defeat Klobuchar, who held a 15-point lead over Bachmann in a recent Public Policy Polling survey.
“I think she’d be a very powerful candidate and could definitely beat Amy Klobuchar,” Sutton told The Hill. “She’s certainly got the fundraising horsepower, the political organization skills and she’s a great spokesperson.”
It seems that Klobuchar has been well aware of a potential Senate run against Bachmann for at least a few weeks.
On Dec. 10, Public Affairs Strategist Rebecca Sive wrote in the Huffington Post that Klobuchar recently expressed concern over a 2012 Senate race with Bachmann.
“It was stunning to me when caring Amy Klobuchar — not to mention high school valedictorian, published author, University of Chicago law review associate editor, rising political star in her 20s, woman talked about as our first woman president, or as a Supreme Court Justice, Amy Klobuchar — told me she was concerned about the prospect of Michele Bachmann running against her for election to the U.S. Senate,” Sive wrote.
During the midterm elections, Bachmann reclaimed her 6th District seat with a major lead over rival Tarryl Clark. Bachmann broke fundraising records for House candidates and even eclipsed the fundraising totals for many Senate campaigns. Bachmann raised more money than Klobucher’s senate 2006 campaign.