Former prosecutor, U.S. Marine, and current candidate for Congress Joe Teirab has a distinct financial advantage in his race to win the Republican nomination for Minnesota’s Second Congressional District, according to campaign finance records.
Tayler Rahm, a defense attorney and Republican candidate running for the same seat, significantly trails Teirab in fundraising.
According to FEC filings, Teirab has raised roughly $841,000 in total since his campaign began in October of 2023. The Teirab campaign currently has $661,920 in cash on hand after raising over $538,000 in the first quarter of 2024.
Conversely, Rahm has raised roughly $345,000 in total since his campaign began in May of 2023 and only has $59,509 in cash on hand, despite having several more months to raise money.
Rahm raised just $65,537 during the first quarter of 2024. He did not respond to a request for comment.
Given the stark contrast in total fundraising, and the vast difference in available funds, Teirab has an obvious financial advantage in his quest to win the Republican nomination for the district.
“I’m humbled and grateful for the continued support for our campaign to beat Angie Craig,” Teirab said in a statement. “I am determined to put together the resources and the message that can win in November. We know that Angie Craig is going to be funded by New York and Hollywood Liberals and it is important that we come into this fight prepared.”
In the race for the district’s GOP nomination, endorsements from former lawmakers who represented Minnesota’s Second Congressional District have already been issued.
John Kline, who represented the district from 2003 to 2017, has endorsed Teirab. Meanwhile, Rahm has been endorsed by Jason Lewis, a former congressman who represented the district for two years and was defeated by Angie Craig in 2018.
Additionally, campaign finance records show that Teirab has received contributions from Republican heavyweights such as House Speaker Mike Johnson’s PAC, Congressman Tom Emmer’s campaign, and various other GOP committees.
Whoever wins the Republican nomination for the district will face incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Angie Craig. While Minnesota’s Second Congressional District is considered the most competitive congressional district in the state, Rep. Craig has won the seat three times. Her margins of victory have ranged between 5.51 points and 2.26 points.
However, Craig will almost certainly have a significant cash advantage over whoever emerges as the Republican nominee. Since January of 2023, Craig has raised over $4.1 million. The congresswoman currently has over $2.8 million in cash on hand.
In 2022, Craig won reelection against Republican Tyler Kistner, a former U.S. Marine who had previously challenged Craig for the seat in 2020. In the pair’s 2022 contest, Craig’s campaign spent over $8.8 million; Kistner’s campaign spent $3.3 million.
Total spending in that race eclipsed $24 million, making it the most expensive congressional race in Minnesota history.
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.
