Tyler Kistner is the first Republican to announce his candidacy for a U.S. House seat that represents the south metro.
The Marine veteran and Prior Lake resident is no stranger to the politics of Minnesota’s Second Congressional District. His campaign launch on Thursday means for the third time the GOP candidate will be vying to represent south metro Minnesotans in Washington, D.C. In both 2020 and 2022, Kistner’s matchups with Angie Craig were among the most watched U.S. House races in the nation. He lost both by single digits.
“After an overwhelming outpouring of encouragement from people across the district and careful prayer and deliberation, I have come to the decision to enter the arena once again and answer the call to serve the people,” Kistner said in a statement Thursday.
The CD2 seat has gained attention in recent weeks because, for the first time since 2016, it will be an open contest. Craig, a four-term incumbent, announced last month she will seek to replace retiring Sen. Tina Smith in the U.S. Senate.
Three-term state Sen. Matt Klein, DFL-Mendota Heights, and former DFL legislator Matt Little both plan to compete for the DFL endorsement in the Second Congressional District.
Kistner kept his Thursday campaign announcement focused on the issues that Republicans saw success with during the 2024 election.
“Service starts with protecting this country, not opening its borders or catering to the extremists,” Kistner said. “Our leaders need to stand up for Minnesota values: schools that educate, fairness in girls’ sports, jobs that reward hard work, and streets where families feel safe.”
One thing the veteran campaigner has going for him is his established ability to raise money both inside Minnesota and nationally.
Kistner’s 2022 rematch with Craig was the most expensive congressional race in state history. He lost that contest to Craig by 5 points in a midterm election that proved to be favorable to Democrats across the board in Minnesota.
In 2020, Kistner came within nearly two points of the incumbent Craig, about 10,000 votes shy of winning the seat.
Kistner passed on the opportunity to run in 2024, and another military veteran, Joe Teirab, received the nod from Republicans. Craig defeated Teirab by more than 13 percentage points last November, her most comfortable election margin to date.
Whether Minnesota’s Second Congressional District can return to being considered a battleground remains to be seen.
The fact that the CD2 seat is now open may help Kistner’s (or another Republican’s) chances, as Craig proved to be a formidable fundraiser nationally. But Craig’s presence on the ballot, if she were to win a DFL primary for U.S. Senate, could help whichever DFL candidate ends up winning the nomination to replace her.
Hank Long
Hank Long is a journalism and communications professional whose writing career includes coverage of the Minnesota legislature, city and county governments and the commercial real estate industry. Hank received his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota, where he studied journalism, and his law degree at the University of St. Thomas. The Minnesota native lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and four children. His dream is to be around when the Vikings win the Super Bowl.
