Democratic Congresswoman Angie Craig is reporting over $1.2 million raised in the first quarter of 2025, a substantial increase from the $688,000 she raised in the first quarter of 2023. Further, the DFL lawmaker currently has over $1 million in cash on hand.
At present, Craig is mulling a bid for an open seat in the U.S. Senate after Sen. Tina Smith, also a Democrat, announced she would not seek reelection in 2026. Two other Democrats, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan and former state Senate minority leader Melisa López Franzen, have already announced their candidacies to replace Smith.
Currently serving her fourth-term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Craig undoubtedly has a significant fundraising operation that she has grown since her first campaign for the south-metro congressional district. Should Craig decide to run for Senate, Federal Election Commission (FEC) rules would allow her to easily transfer her funds to a Senate campaign.
Meanwhile, neither Flanagan nor Franzen have ever run for federal office before. As such, their campaigns are starting from scratch. According to FEC filings, Franzen has raised just over $260,000 in the first quarter of 2025, and has $251,000 in cash on hand. Flanagan has raised just over $451,000 during the same period and maintains $366,000 in cash on hand.
Financially, Craig is certainly in the strongest position of any Democrat to hold the open U.S. Senate seat. On top of that, the congresswoman’s ability to shift what was once a swing-district into the Democratic column has resulted in many viewing her as the DFL’s best chance to win the U.S. Senate election.
On the Republican side of the U.S. Senate race, former Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze and 2024 GOP nominee for U.S. Senate Royce White are running for the open seat.
A combat veteran, Marine, and member of Seal Team Three, Schwarze raised over $140,000 in the first quarter of 2025. The decorated veteran has $109,000 in cash on hand.
White, a former professional basketball player who lost the 2024 U.S. Senate election by roughly 16 points, has raised over $201,000 during the same period. He has over $182,000 in cash on hand.
Q1 numbers for every Minnesota member of the U.S. House
- District 1, Rep. Brad Finstad (R): $233,621 raised, $166,565 in cash on hand
- District 2, Rep. Angie Craig (D): $1,201,408 raised, $1,066,272 in cash on hand
- District 3, Rep. Kelly Morrison (D): $222,945 raised, $147,751 in cash on hand
- District 4, Rep. Betty McCollum (D): $219,383 raised, $604,738 in cash on hand
- District 5, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D): $763,970 raised, $496,669 in cash on hand
- District 6, Rep. Tom Emmer (R): $631,881 raised, $2,594,069 in cash on hand
- District 7, Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R): $149,003 raised, $477,109 in cash on hand
- District 8, Rep. Pete Stauber (R): $273,809 raised, $619,908 in cash on hand
Before 2024, only Craig’s seat was considered a toss-up district. However, her margin of victory in 2024 was so dominant that many believe she will handily win reelection in 2026. In fact, her district is not included in the National Republican Campaign Committee’s list of top targets for 2026 despite being on the same list for the previous election.
If Craig pursues a run for U.S. Senate, the scramble to replace her in Minnesota’s Second Congressional District will likely feature many candidates from both sides of the aisle who want to take advantage of a rare opening for higher office; an opening that could move the seat back into toss-up territory.
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.
