Angie Craig joins DFL candidates in Kasson

Speakers included U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, House 24B Representative Tina Liebling, and candidates Heather Holmes of Byron for House District 24A, Simon Glaser for Senate District 24, and Jake Johnson, who’s running for the 1st Congressional District seat held by Brad Finstad.

Craig, who has represented Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District since 2019, was the evening’s main attraction. She announced earlier this year that she will run for U.S. Senate in 2026, following Sen. Tina Smith’s decision to not seek reelection.

“Brad Finstad, he’s pretty pissed off at me right now … which I wear as a badge of honor,” Craig said. She added that because some of her colleagues won’t hold town halls in their own districts, she chooses to visit those areas herself.

Craig shared her personal story of growing up in mobile home parks, raised by a single mother and grandmother. Her grandmother, who worked in a shoe factory, was a proud union member, Craig said. She noted she has been endorsed by 14 labor unions across Minnesota.

Craig also highlighted her fight for marriage equality, saying she and her wife, Cheryl, were married in 2008. The couple has four sons and three grandsons.

Professionally, Craig worked her way up to a leadership role at St. Jude Medical after the company started as a small operation in Northfield 45 years ago.

Craig, an Arkansas native, also spent time at The Commercial Appeal, a news outlet in Memphis, Tenn. When asked about the state of journalism, Craig said 

social media now curates what individuals want to hear, adding, “If you don’t like the labor statistics, just yell ‘fake news.’”

“We have an out-of-control administration that is running roughshod over the middle class,” Craig said, adding that Democrats need to do more to win back rural voters.

As a ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, Craig criticized cuts made to nutrition and health programs during farm bill negotiations. She said $186 billion was taken from SNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance), and $1 trillion from Medicaid to provide tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans.

“Who the hell believes the top 10 percent in our country needs a tax break?” Craig said.

Craig still needs to win the endorsement of the Minnesota DFL. The 2026 endorsement process begins with statewide precinct caucuses, which will be held on February 3, 2026. Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan has also announced her candidacy. She was unable to attend the event in Kasson, but an organizing director for her campaign was present to speak with attendees.