Talking Points: 6th District Congressional Candidate Tom Emmer

MINNEAPOLIS (WCOO) – She is one of the nation's most controversial members of Congress and in just a few months Rep. Michele Bachmann will be leaving office.

While Bachmann has not said what she will do next, last Tuesdays primary gave us her likely successor.

Radio talk show host and former state Representative Tom Emmer easily won the Republican Sixth District primary.

For Emmer it's a comeback after a very narrow loss to Mark Dayton in the Governor's race four years ago.

Everyone remembers the drawn out 2008 Senate race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken. But two years later the race between Tom Emmer and Mark Dayton was so close that there was also a recount and Dayton was not declared the winner until a month after the election.

Tom Emmer left politics and became a radio talk show host.

But when Michele Bachmann announced she wouldn't run again, Emmer jumped in the race.

The district is overwhelmingly Republican and after his primary win Tuesday Emmer is a heavy favorite to win in November. While critics say Bachmann with her presidential and Tea Party leadership have helped   create a split in the party, Emmer says he wants to bring Republicans together.

Tom Emmer was a guest on WCCO Sunday Morning.

"I think recently over our past few elections, especially here in Minnesota, Republicans have really good at building a circular firing squad and then shooting inwards as opposed to training their sights on the election itself and what they are seeking to accomplish," Emmer said.

Emmer also stresses he is not taking anything for granted and that he will be campaigning hard through November.

Emmer's Democratic opponent in November is Sartell Mayor Joe Perske.

You can watch WCCO Sunday Morning with Esme Murphy and Matt Brickman every Sunday at 6 and 10:30 a.m.