Rep. Angie Craig overcomes potential midterm pitfalls in Second District win

Democratic U.S. Rep. Angie Craig surged to re-election in Tuesday's midterms with a centrist minded approach and unexpectedly helpful national political environment that foiled Republicans' dogged attempt to oust her in Minnesota's only Congressional battleground race.

Her victory was part of a trend that played out in Michigan, Virginia and Ohio where potentially endangered swing district Democrats won despite warning signs that a red wave could sweep them out of office.

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade earlier this year meant the issue of abortion was a major focus of Craig's campaign, while Kistner largely tried to avoid the topic.

"My independent constituents didn't like mask mandates, they didn't like vaccine mandates," Craig said in an interview Tuesday before the outcome of her re-election was known, describing the district as having some Libertarian bent. "They sure as hell don't want a politician going into the doctor's office with them, either."

Kistner went on to concede the race, his second loss to Craig after falling short in 2020. He dismissed any connection between the results of his race this cycle and the national landscape. Kistner lost to Craig in Tuesday's race by a little over 5 percentage points.

"Results speak for themselves," he told reporters at his election night event, adding that both parties spent a lot of money on the race. "I think that highlights just how important this race was to so many."

Craig said during her Tuesday interview that Democrats spend too much time looking to the next thing instead of rallying around what they've already accomplished. She said they need to slow down and tout their wins a little more before immediately moving on to the next thing.

"We do something extraordinary and then we wake up the next day and start talking about stuff we haven't done," Craig said.

Kistner made economic concerns a major focus, following an approach that the House GOP's campaign arm relied on this cycle. Gina Therwanger, who attended Kistner's watch party, said the economy and inflation were top issues.

"The struggle is real in every household right now," she said.

Both Craig and Kistner paid attention to crime and public safety. After siding with Kistner in the 2020 race, the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association backed Craig this cycle. Kistner's campaign later announced an endorsement from the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis.

Craig's surprising return to Washington for a third term could come with new challenges. So far, she has only served as part of a Democratic majority.

Allen Andersen of Shakopee, who lost his bid for Scott County attorney, said he went with Craig this election because he felt Kistner wouldn't be able to reach across the aisle.

"Candidate quality was a big thing for me this year," he said.

Staff writers Kelly Smith and Eder Campuzano contributed to this report.