Will a progressive be able to keep Angie Craig’s district in DFL hands?

A Democrat with progressive backing and a suburban Republican lawmaker are running for the congressional seat soon to be vacated by U.S. Rep. Angie Craig. The contest could show just how competitive the district remains since the eight years it’s been in Democratic hands. Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes south Twin Cities suburbs and surrounding rural areas, has seen Minnesota’s closest U.S. House elections in recent years. Craig, a self-described moderate Democrat, has held on since defeating GOP Rep. Jason Lewis in 2018, even as some later Republican challengers came close to unseating her.

Now that Craig isn’t seeking reelection after a failed bid for her party’s U.S. Senate nomination, state Sen. Eric Pratt, R-Prior Lake, and Matt Little, a one-time Democratic-Farmer-Labor state senator and former mayor of Lakeville, are running to represent the district. Little, 41, of Lakeville, won a competitive DFL primary with grass-roots progressive backing and has not shied away from expressing progressive priorities on the campaign trail. Unlike Craig, Little has supported “Medicare for All,” single-payer healthcare managed by the government, and has described Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza as genocide against Palestinians.

Asked if he believed support for positions more commonly associated with the Democratic Party’s left flank could pose a problem with some voters in a once Republican-held district won over by a moderate Democrat, Little said he believed voters craved authenticity and connection. “We do have some policy disagreements. I think those have been pretty clear,” he said of Craig. “But you can win running as yourself, and I think that’s what she did, and that’s what I’m doing.” “I don’t like the labels, because there are some progressives that disagree with me and there’s some centrists that do agree with me,” he later added.

Pratt, 62, also said he dislikes labels, even like moderate and centrist, though he has presented himself as a “pragmatic” Republican and has largely avoided wading into controversial cultural issues while emphasizing his bipartisan work on bills like a child tax credit. In an August interview with the online publication Jewish Insider, Pratt said he hoped to win over a district he believes has many “independent voters with conservative values” and that he “might be boring enough to win this seat.” Asked what he meant by “boring,” Pratt, who comes from a background in finance and fraud risk management, said his career as a lawmaker has largely focused on economic issues and work across the aisle in a Legislature typically under divided partisan control.

There’s a lot of chaos and dysfunction in Washington, right? And people are looking for someone who can rise above the noise,” he said. “I’ve not been one in the Senate that’s sought out press conferences and appearances. I kind of just go to work.” Affordability Both Little and Pratt have attempted to address voter concerns about the rising cost of living, though they’ve advocated different approaches to tackling the problem.

On healthcare costs, Pratt said he supports efforts to reduce fraud and create requirements for “plain language” health insurance policies so customers understand what they are paying for. Pratt opposes a single-payer system. While Pratt and other Republicans have cast doubt on the cost of universal healthcare or other government programs covering the cost of child care, Little said President Donald Trump’s tariffs and war in Iran, which have driven up the costs of many everyday goods, cost average Americans more money with no benefit.

People are looking at their lives every single day, being unable to afford or get ahead in this economy, and they’re watching this war in Iran, which no one seems to have any sort of real clear idea as to why we’re there,” Little said. “We’re spending billions of dollars every month to be there. It’s increasing costs across the economy. I think people are really confused there.” In a Minnesota Public Radio debate, Pratt said he believes the U.S. needs to act “from a position of strength, not a position of weakness” in order to prevent Iran from exerting control over the region in the future or developing a nuclear weapon. Little has supported an immediate exit.

On Social Security, which is expected to face significant financial headwinds in the coming decades, Little has supported increased taxes and spending to prevent reduced benefits starting in 2032 if the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund is depleted. Pratt, meanwhile, has said in campaign materials that “the full retirement age may need to gradually increase” in order to maintain Social Security, and that while people who have paid in for their whole lives should receive benefits, younger workers should be able to opt out and invest their money in other retirement programs.

ICE, Trump During Operation Metro Surge earlier this year, when the Trump administration sent thousands of federal agents to Minnesota in a widespread immigration crackdown, Little took part in protesting their activity. Two protesters died in clashes with federal agents, while many others, including legal migrants, were detained. In a candidate forum with Pratt at Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount this month, Little called U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Minnesota earlier this year “abhorrent.” “I think it had nothing to do with their core mission of keeping violent criminals out of this country and keeping drugs that were killing Americans out of this country. They decided to roam our neighborhoods and elementary schools and hospitals and restaurants in order to effectuate Donald Trump’s political agenda.” During and after Operation Metro Surge, Pratt said he supported the “law enforcement” mission of federal immigration agents, though has said he told the Trump administration to “back down” during a debate with Little on WCCO Radio in September.

Pratt explained his stance on immigration and ICE in his later appearance with Little in Rosemount, and characterized Little’s activity as “ginning up protesters” as Pratt was attempting to “bring peace and calm.” Still competitive? Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District was historically a competitive seat and only recently fell into Democratic hands. Craig lost to Lewis by 2 percentage points in 2016 before defeating him in 2018. After several closer races, she defeated Joe Teirab in 2024 by 13 points.

University of Minnesota political studies chair Larry Jacobs, a longtime observer of state politics, said that as the district becomes increasingly white-collar, educated and suburban, it favors Democrats. And while an open seat is typically less competitive than if it were with an incumbent like Craig, midterm elections are never favorable to the president’s party. “It’s a tough time for Republicans to be running in Minnesota because of the deep unpopularity of the president and the issue of affordability,” Jacobs said. “The referendum here is on Donald Trump.” Jacobs said even though Little has run further to the left of Craig, higher progressive turnout, distaste for the president and his background governing will prove valuable in convincing voters, even if they aren’t completely on board with proposals like government-run healthcare.

Ideologically those issues may not be reflecting the majority, but the frustration over healthcare costs is so high that the way he talks about it, it’s meant to respond,” Jacobs said. “He’s not running as Bernie Sanders, even though he shares that same policy position.” Money talks Democratic and Republican donors alike may have already made up their minds on whether the 2nd District is competitive anymore. They’re spending significantly less on the candidates than they did in 2022 or 2024.

When Craig faced Teirab in 2024, Craig’s campaign raised more than $8 million compared to Teirab’s more than $3 million. As of the end of September, Little had raised $1.1 million and spent around $1.5 million, compared to Pratt’s $730,000 raised and $409,000 spent. Outside groups, which can often spend significantly more than the campaigns themselves, are spending significantly less than in the past as well.

In 2022, campaign finance tracker Open Secrets tracked around $19 million in outside spending, roughly split between Craig and Republican Tyler Kistner. This year, total reported outside spending in support for or against Little and Pratt hadn’t even approached $1 million as of reports from the end of September and 24- and 48-hour reports filed since then with the Federal Election Commission.

The intrigue surrounding alleged third-party spoiler candidates is also no more. In 2020 and 2022, Republicans were accused of recruiting pro-marijuana legalization party candidates to dilute the Democratic vote. And in 2024, a candidate ran as a “constitutional conservative” after a national Democratic Party-affiliated group recruited him to appear on the ballot. He dropped out of the race and endorsed Teirab after saying he was “set up” but still appeared on the ballot because he didn’t withdraw from the race in time.

This year, Little and Pratt are the only candidates on the ballot for the 2nd District. For more coverage on the Nov. 3 election, go to twincities.com/news/politics/elections. Early voting is already underway.