Allan Peterson knows it’s ironic for a blind man to say he wants a brighter vision for North Dakota.

But the Fargo man who lost his eyesight nearly 30 years ago isn’t letting that stop him from making a second run for the Legislature based on that theme.

“I’m eager to serve. I’m very eager to serve,” Peterson said. “I think I can make a difference.”

Peterson, 64, and fellow Democrat Keith Gohdes of Mapleton are vying for House seats in District 22 against incumbents Wes Belter of Leonard and Vonnie Pietsch of Casselton.

Peterson lost his bid for the Legislature in 2004, capturing 21 percent of the four-way vote. He decided to run again because he believes he has something to offer to the state.

“It’s about the people I could represent. It’s not necessarily about me. I feel that there’s a need for a different perspective in our state Legislature,” Peterson said.

Peterson, a former veterinarian and faculty member at North Dakota State University, lost his vision in his late 30s due to a degenerative disease of the retina.

He knows some might question his ability to function like other lawmakers. However, he thinks people would be amazed at what he can accomplish.

“I think I’ve opened some people’s eyes, so to speak, by what I’ve been able to do,” Peterson said.

Peterson, who uses a walking stick, said he campaigns by phone and relies on volunteers to take him places. His computer has speech outputs so he can listen to what’s on the screen. He knows his keyboard well enough to send e-mails.

If elected, Peterson said he would hire a reader to help him read bills. He would also scan documents into his computer so he could read them independently.

Getting around the Capitol wouldn’t be a problem, he said.

“It doesn’t take me too long to become familiar with my environment,” he said.

Peterson’s main campaign issues are increasing education funding, improving health-care access and helping farmers. Peterson grew up on a dairy farm near Brandon, Minn.

Belter, one of his opponents, doesn’t view Peterson’s blindness as impairing his ability to serve. However, Belter thinks he’s done a good job serving District 22 and wants to continue in the position.

“I just think there’s a lot of things I can do for my district as a continued member of the Legislature and, therefore, I feel that I would hope that people would continue to have confidence in my ability to serve them,” Belter said.

Pietsch said she doesn’t know Peterson personally, so she didn’t have a comment.

“We’re always happy to have a contest,” she said.

If elected, Peterson wouldn’t be North Dakota’s first lawmaker who was blind.

Rep. Kevin Kolbo, D-Mohall, served from 1987 to 1992. He died in 1996.

Jim Smith of the Legislative Council said Kolbo was an articulate lawmaker.

“From my memory, he was active and did pretty well. I’m sure he had challenges; he seemed to get by pretty well,” Smith said.

Sen. Dave O’Connell, D-Lansford, said Kolbo’s mother, Marian, and his guide dog, Ace, helped him during his time working in the Capitol.

He said Kolbo was a “tremendous campaigner” and well-informed.

“He was probably up on issues more than any representative or senator I’ve ever known,” O’Connell said. “It wasn’t just politics. He knew exactly what was going on all the time.”

Kolbo served as a resource when Minnesota Rep. Torrey Westrom, R-Elbow Lake, decided to run for office in the mid-1990s.

Westrom, now 35, lost his eyesight after a car accident when he was 14. He remembers calling Kolbo to ask how he campaigned and how he was received.

“I know he made the comment, ‘You always gotta watch what you say and where you say it when you can’t see who’s around you,’ ” Westrom said.

During his 12 years as a lawmaker, Westrom has found ways to fulfill his political duties without his vision.

When campaigning, he finds someone to drive him around his district and tell him how many steps or obstacles there are between him and a door.

He keeps his hand on the doorknob after he rings the doorbell, so he knows when the door opens and he can start talking.

Before his first session, Westrom spent two days in St. Paul walking around the Capitol to map the building’s layout in his head. He uses a cane to help him move around.

As for session work, his computer voices bills, documents and e-mails for him. Speakers during floor debate and committee meetings are typically called upon anyway, so that helps him know who is talking.

On occasion, he does need to remind presenters to read what is displayed on a screen. He also asks how many people are in a room and where they are so he can look at them when they talk.

Westrom knows some people were initially skeptical about whether he could do the job. Years ago, one man asked if he thought he won on the sympathy vote.

“I never thought I did win on it. I wouldn’t want to win on the sympathy vote,” Westrom said.

He said he wanted to be a lawmaker because he has an interest in debate, problem solving and small, less intrusive government.

“This is a great place to accomplish that or at least work toward those goals,” he said.

Westrom advises Peterson to find a good campaign volunteer and to figure out the easiest ways to make the adaptations needed.

“The more you do that, the more sight impairment is a nonissue,” he said.

The Fargo Forum - 07/07/2008