Democratic Congresswoman Angie Craig won her fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday when she defeated Republican challenger Joe Teirab by double digits.
Encompassing a large portion of the south metro area, the district Craig represents is known as Minnesota’s Second Congressional District. Before Tuesday, the district was considered the closest congressional seat, and the only swing district, in the state.
This was Craig’s fifth run for Congress. She lost her first bid for the seat in 2016 to Republican Jason Lewis. However, she defeated Lewis two years later and has won all of her elections to the seat with margins of victory ranging from roughly 3 to 5 points.
The Minnesota congresswoman campaigned as a bipartisan moderate and told voters she was willing to stand up to her party when necessary. In the course of the campaign, Craig ran heavily on her pro-choice stance and was very vocal about endorsements she received from law enforcement.
Meanwhile, Teirab ran on a platform to combat inflation, secure the border, and stop crime. A former federal prosecutor and U.S. Marine, Teirab also emphasized support he received from law enforcement. This marked the Republican’s first run for elected office.
During the campaign, Craig attacked Teirab over his position on abortion. While Teirab pledged he would not support a national abortion ban, Craig said that Teirab was unwilling to use federal power to stop states that have implemented their own state abortion bans.
Alpha News previously reported on Craig’s opposition to legislation that would establish protections for babies who survive attempted abortions.
The Minnesota congresswoman’s resounding victory is a marked shift from her close margins of victory in past years. Given the nearly 13-point win, the south metro district might no longer be regarded as a toss-up seat in future elections.
Minnesota currently has an even split of congressional seats: 4 Democratic seats and 4 Republican seats.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
