Washington – Minnesota U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson was one of only two House Democrats to vote against an impeachment measure Thursday that split the rest of the state delegation along party lines.

Democratic Reps. Betty McCollum, Ilhan Omar, Angie Craig and Dean Phillips voted in favor of the resolution that sets up the next phase of the historic, Democrat-led impeachment process of President Donald Trump.

Voting against it were Republican Reps. Tom Emmer, Pete Stauber and Jim Hagedorn — along with Peterson, a Democrat in a rural western Minnesota district that largely went to Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

The only other House Democrat to oppose the impeachment inquiry was New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew, who said it would "further divide the country."

No Republicans voted in favor of the inquiry, which is focused on allegations that Trump sought to enlist the help of a foreign government to dig up damaging information on former Vice President Joe Biden, a top Democratic contender for president in 2020.

"This impeachment process continues to be hopelessly partisan," Peterson said in a statement.

U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson

"I have some serious concerns with the way the closed-door depositions were run, and am skeptical that we will have a process that is open, transparent and fair."

Patrick Condon • 202-662-7452