NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Democratic congressional candidate Angie Craig wants to repeal the GOP tax cuts, veering farther left than some of the more liberal members of the Minnesota delegation.
Craig, a former journalist and St. Jude Medical executive, is running for the Democratic nomination for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District, hoping to unseat Republican Rep. Jason Lewis in November. Craig ran against Lewis in 2016, losing by 6,655 votes.
In a DFL forum earlier this year, Craig was asked what actions she would take on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, saying she would “repeal the whole thing.”
“I’d repeal the whole thing, I’m not kidding,” Craig said. “It may go down as one of the worst pieces of legislation in the history of this nation.”
Craig grew up in poverty, living in a mobile home park. Craig claimed that during the Reagan administration no financial relief reached her family or other families in the area, “so we know that trickle-down economics does not work.”
Craig claimed the recent tax bill is even worse than the Reagan era tax reform, saying “large corporations and really rich people” are the only people benefitting from the cuts. Craig failed to acknowledge the many bonuses corporations have given to their employees following the tax cuts.
“Anyways, so that’s who is benefiting: large corporations and really rich people, and to top it off, we’re paying for it out of the middle class,” Craig said.
Craig’s stance on tax reform falls to the left of other members of the Minnesota delegation, including Rep. and DNC Deputy Chair Keith Ellison. In an interview on MSNBC last Monday, Ellison avoided answering whether Democrats should uphold the recent tax cuts or repeal it. Instead, Ellison turned the focus on the “richest folks” saying the message should be to “repeal them.”
“I think the message for the richest folks who got the tax cut, the biggest companies, needs to be ‘repeal them.'” Ellison said.
Jason Lewis for Congress Campaign Manager Becky Alery was quick to highlight Craig’s position on the tax cuts in comparison to Ellison.
“Rather than acknowledging the average family in Minnesota’s Second District is receiving more than $3,000 every year because of Jason Lewis and the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Craig chose to set up her tent to the left of the one pitched by the DNC’s own deputy chair,” Alery said.
“While attempting to portray herself as a middle of the road candidate, Craig has drawn a line in the sand and apparently it is to the left of even Keith Ellison,” Alery added.
Olivia Anderson-Blythe
Olivia Anderson-Blythe is an enthusiastic young journalist who has never been afraid to stand up for the truth. She is a Political Science and History major.
