Michele Bachmann Weighing Run For Al Franken's Senate Seat
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Former Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann says she is weighing whether or not to run for Al Franken's Senate seat.
In an interview last week with a religious TV program, Bachmann said that she's praying on if she should return to Washington at a time when "the swamp is so toxic."
"The question is: Am I being called to do this now?" she told televangelist Jim Bakker. "I don't know. I don't know."
While the former U.S. representative says she could handle the day-to-day demands of the Senate, Bachmann said the current political climate and the financial aspects of running for office pose significant concerns.
"There's a price you pay," she said. "And the price now is bigger than ever."
Bachmann, 61, was elected to Congress in 2007 to represent Minnesota's 6th District. She was in office until 2015.
During that time, she ran for the Republican nomination in the 2012 presidential election.
If she were to run for Franken's Senate seat, she'd have to begin her campaign relatively soon for the November special election.
On Tuesday, Franken was scheduled to officially step down from the U.S. Senate. His resignation comes following a string of sexual misconduct allegations.
His replacement, Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, is expected to be sworn in Wednesday.
Smith, a Democrat, says she'll run in the special election.