Collin Peterson (D) represents the 7^th Congressional District of Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives. His district is the largest in the state and is largely rural.

First elected in 1990, Rep. Peterson has been a consistent voice on agriculture issues in Congress. He served on the House Agriculture Committee as Chairman from 2007-2011 and as its Ranking Member from 2015-2019. In the 116^th Congress, with the Democrats regaining the House majority, Rep. Peterson has returned to his position as the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.

Rep. Peterson was born in North Dakota and grew up on a farm in Minnesota. Prior to his election to Congress, he served in the Minnesota State Senate from 1977-87. He received his B.A. from Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Why Rep. Peterson is important to agents:

Rep. Peterson is the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee in the 116^th Congress. As that committee’s ranking member in the last Congress, Rep. Peterson was instrumental in getting the 2018 Farm Bill passed and signed by President Trump. Rep. Peterson, along with former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX), Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), and Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), spearheaded a Farm Bill that included a strong crop insurance title (Title XI).

Rep. Peterson has always been a strong supporter of crop insurance as an essential feature of the farm safety net. Along with the other leaders of the Conference Committee, he recognized the importance of a strong federal crop insurance program and the vital role that independent agents play in its delivery. As the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Peterson is expected to remain a strong advocate for crop insurance.