Four years ago it was her interview on Hardball with msnbc’s Chris Matthews that catapulted Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) from relative obscurity to Tea Party firebrand. Bachmann told Matthews that she wished “the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America?”
Controversy over her comments erupted and Bachmann became an overnight political sensation. Suddenly she was in the crosshairs of Democrats and her cakewalk for re-election became complicated by a flood of national media attention; an influx of money injected into her once-nominal opposition. The threat was real, but Bachmann eeked out a victory in a big Democratic year.
Four years later, some say Bachmann is again in danger of losing her safe seat in Minnesota’s 6th district. Coming off the heels of a failed presidential campaign that elevated her national profile while riding a wave of Tea Party support, she has proven herself a prolific fundraiser and a determined campaigner. Bachmann has raised just over $4.5 million in the third quarter alone for the battle to win re-election.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
This time around, Bachmann’s challenger is Jim Graves, a hotel executive who has kept the race surprisingly competitive.
In mid-October, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee stepped in to the race by officially endorsing Graves’ candidacy adding him to their crucial “Red to Blue” program and injecting more financial support, signaling that national Democrats think the race is winnable.
“Jim has proven his commitment to standing up for the middle class and creating good-paying jobs for Minnesotans,” said DCCC Chairman Steve Israel. “Jim is a successful businessman, builder and problem-solver who will focus on creating jobs, growing the economy and protecting Medicare — not on partisanship, political games or pandering to the Tea Party.”
“Minnesotans have never been particularly impressed with celebrity types,” added the candidate’s campaign manager (and son), Adam Graves. “In fact, we tend to be a bit suspicious of those who seek out the limelight — and I think Rep. Bachmann’s desire to make herself into a national figure has damaged her standing in the eyes of many of her former supporters.”
But not so fast says the National Republican Campaign Committee, the DCCC’s recruiting rival. NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay was quick to pour cold water on the Democrats’ enthusiasm.
“This is another example of Democrats letting emotion cloud their judgment and lead to completely irrational decisions,” Lindsay said.
“Despite the attention that national Democrats are desperately trying to draw to this race, this is a strong Republican seat represented by a strong Republican advocate who will still be a Member of Congress next year,” he continued.
A recent Minneapolis Star Tribune poll showed Bachmann with a six-point lead, but Graves’ campaign insists the race remains much tighter.
“We’ve seen huge gains among women and especially among independent voters,” Adam Graves said.
Candidate Jim Graves stressed Michelle Bachmann’s plan to “take women back 50 years, back to the male dominant society,” during a Sunday appearance on Melissa Harris-Perry, saying that “Michelle Bachmann epitomizes everything that’s wrong about the women’s issues.”
“Look at her voting record,” Graves said. “She voted against equal pay for equal work for women, she votes against reproductive rights, she votes against even women to have access to birth control. … She’s endorsed Akin.”
Graves also emphasized his experience in creating jobs, referring to himself as “business guy” who has “come out of [his] comfort zone” to help his constituents get back on their feet: “People are worried about their jobs. They’re worried about making their house payments,” he said. “They’re worried about access to health care. I know what it takes to get people back to work.”
Cook Political Report’s House Editor Dave Wasserman, an expert analyst of House races across the country, added that Bachmann is “very politically savvy and not to be underestimated.”
Having President Obama at the top of the ticket is a perfect foil for Bachmann, he says. Wasserman estimates that Mitt Romney will win the district by 57% or 58% which would require Graves to convince 7% or 8% of 6th district voters to split their tickets.
Bachmann’s message to constituents is “that Jim Graves is way too liberal and he’ll vote in lockstep with Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama seems to be working,” Wasserman said.
One factor that could make a difference this cycle is the absence of an independent candidate, which Bachmann faced in all three of her previous campaigns for Congress and which the Graves campaign believes siphoned votes away from the Democratic challengers.
“Our district has an unusually high percentage of independent voters and this is the first time there’s no an independent on the ballot,” said Adam Graves.









