Rep. Angie Craig (D., Minn.) announced Tuesday that she will run for Senate rather than defend her House seat, creating a prime pickup opportunity for House Republicans as they look to expand their majority in next year’s midterms.
Craig, who has represented Minnesota’s Second Congressional District since 2019, is vacating one of the most closely contested swing seats in her effort to replace retiring Democratic senator Tina Smith. Republicans narrowly lost the district in the last two election cycles and are expected to heavily target it in 2026.
The announcement deals a blow to Democrats’ chances of retaking the House of Representatives—where Republicans hold a 220–213 majority—as Craig joins a growing list of battleground-district House Democrats weighing Senate bids, according to Axios.
Longtime Democratic senators across the country, including Smith, Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), and Gary Peters (Mich.), have announced that they will retire rather than run in the 2026 election. Powerful Senate Democratic whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) announced last week that he will also step down at the end of this term.
“The math is in our favor,” Rep. Richard Hudson (N.C.), the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, told Axios. “We will capitalize on this momentum on the battleground and retain and grow our Republican majority.”
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Author: Matthew Xiao
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