State Sen. Eric Pratt announced Monday that he will seek the Republican nomination for Congress in Minnesota’s Second District.
“This campaign is about putting families first. The people of the Second District deserve a representative who listens, understands their challenges, and delivers real results,” said Pratt, who is in his fourth term in the Minnesota Senate and represents the Prior Lake area.
He joins two-time congressional candidate Tyler Kistner in seeking the GOP nomination for the seat. For the first time since 2016, the race for CD2 will be an open contest because Rep. Angie Craig, the incumbent Democrat, is seeking to replace retiring Sen. Tina Smith in the U.S. Senate.
“President Trump is making strides and bringing energy back to our economy, but families in CD2 still need someone who can win in November to keep that momentum going. This open seat is critical, and it’s going to take a Republican in Congress who will fight to deliver real relief where it’s needed most,” Pratt said.
He highlighted his business experience and past work as chair of the Prior Lake-Savage School Board, where he “helped turn a $1 million deficit into a $3 million surplus, raised student performance, and cut property taxes.”
As a state senator, Pratt said his focus has been on balancing budgets, expanding childcare access, improving public education, and supporting small businesses.
“I’m not interested in political theater. I’m interested in getting the work done,” Pratt added. “This is a campaign about service. I’m ready to fight for the people who go to work every day, raise their families, and just want a fair shot.”
Two Democrats are running for the seat: state Sen. Matt Klein and former DFL legislator Matt Little.
Kistner’s 2022 rematch with Craig was the most expensive congressional race in state history. He lost that contest to Craig by 5 points in a midterm election that proved to be favorable to Democrats across the board in Minnesota.
In 2020, Kistner came within nearly two points of the incumbent Craig, about 10,000 votes shy of winning the seat.
Kistner passed on the opportunity to run in 2024, and another military veteran, Joe Teirab, received the nod from Republicans. Craig defeated Teirab by more than 13 percentage points last November, her most comfortable election margin to date.
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Author: Anthony Gockowski
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