WASHINGTON -- Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson says he has two fundraisers scheduled and he's "running at this point" for re-election next year.

"They energized me last time, they got me fired up," said Peterson, in a phone call this week.

By "they" Peterson is referring to national Republicans who, sensing Peterson's Republican-leaning district in a Republican-leaning year, decided to pour more than $8 million into the 2014 race in attempts at unseating the popular 24-year incumbent.

Despite all the outside spending, Peterson walked away from that race with an almost nine point lead over Republican state senator Torrey Westrom. It was one of the biggest National Republican Congressional Committee losses nationally.

"They had the opposite effect of what they thought they were going to," Peterson said.