New Polling Data Spells More Bad News for Angie Craig

As the 2022 midterm elections draw near, data continues to show that a Minnesota congresswoman occupying a crucial seat for the Democratic Party may be in danger of losing.

Angie Craig currently represents Minnesota’s Second Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. In the 2020 election she narrowly defeated Republican challenger Tyler Kistner — by only 10,000 votes out of a total 424,512 cast.

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Minnesota Democrat Farmer Laborer Party: ‘Abortion Rights Under Attack at National Level’

The Minnesota Democrat Farmer Laborer Party (DFL) released a statement on Friday, criticizing all the Republican gubernatorial candidates for their stances on abortion, saying “Abortion rights are under attack at the national level.” The DFL was referencing the Supreme Court case, Dobbs v. Jackson, where the state of Mississippi is challenging Roe v. Wade.

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Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig Took Part in Fundraiser with Group That Supports ‘Defunding the Police’

Angie Craig, a congresswoman from Minnesota, recently appeared at a fundraiser hosted by an organization known for its repeated calls to “defund the police.”

The Washington Free Beacon reported that the fundraiser, hosted by the Heart of LA Democratic Club, took place last Thursday at a home in Culver City. The group required proof of COVID-19 vaccination for entry and offered “contribution levels” of $50, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, and $2,900 to support Craig’s reelection to the U.S. House.

Craig, for her part, has not aligned herself with efforts to “defund the police,” unlike many other progressives in Minnesota and throughout the United States in 2020. The congresswoman faced heavy progressive backlash after openly opposing the Minneapolis charter amendment to replace the police department, even though her district doesn’t include any of Minneapolis.

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Gov. Walz, Angie Craig Oppose Minneapolis Effort to Defund Police

Minneapolis City Council Pledges to Dismantle Police Department

Two prominent Democrats have come out against the ballot effort to defund the Minneapolis Police Department, saying police reform, not defunding, is needed.

Gov. Tim Walz revealed in an interview at the Minnesota State Fair last week that he thinks the ballot question does not provide enough detail and will leave residents “confused” on what they’re voting for or against, Fox 9 reported.

“It’s been distilled down to this: defund police or fund police? I know it’s more complex than that, but I think that poses problems,” Walz said.

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Minnesota Congressional Delegates Respond to Afghanistan Crisis, Calls for Biden Resignation

Congressman Jeff Van Drew issued a statement, calling for President Biden, Vice-President Harris, and Speaker Pelosi to resign following the fall of Afghanistan. Van Drew is a former Democrat who switched parties in 2018. Congressman Van Drew’s official statement reads, “President Biden’s decision to simply hand Afghanistan back to the Taliban after almost twenty years to the day since the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, will go down as one of the most shocking and embarrassing failures of leadership in American history.”

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On Trump’s Newest Tariff, Minnesota’s Rep. Angie Craig Tweets, ‘Where Is the Adult in the Room Who Knows What the H*** They’re Doing on Trade?’

  Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-2) sent a tweetstorm Friday night talking about President Trump’s new threatened tariffs on Mexico. “Where is the adult in the room who knows what the hell they’re doing on trade?” Craig continued by saying small businesses and farmers will be the ones affected by the “President’s reckless trade wars.” Where is the adult in the room who knows what the hell they're doing on trade? https://t.co/aHTkWG3YVi — Angie Craig (@AngieCraigMN) May 31, 2019 “Our small businesses and farmers pay the price for this President’s reckless trade wars – not China, not Mexico – our communities pay,” Craig tweeted. In her next two tweets, she talked about her personal experience with farmers. “I watched my grandfather lose his way of life in the 1980’s farm crisis. I’ve sat with dairy farmers who wonder how their going to make it another year. This isn’t a game – this is people’s livelihoods.” “Farmers are the fabric of greater MN and deserve better than the President’s twitter trade war.” Farmers are the fabric of greater MN and deserve better than the President’s twitter trade war. — Angie Craig (@AngieCraigMN) May 31, 2019 Trump threatened on Twitter Thursday to put…

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Angie Craig Facing Criticism for Impeachment Comments

  Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-02) hosted her fourth town hall last week and received several questions from constituents on moving forward with impeachment hearings against President Donald Trump. Up until Tuesday’s town hall, Craig had taken a relatively moderate position on the issue of impeachment and believed it shouldn’t be discussed until Mueller completed his investigation. “I believe the next step is for the Congress to request the unredacted version of the report. I believe the next step is for the committee chairmen to call a number of folks forward to testify, to fill in the facts for the American people,” Craig told her constituents Tuesday. “I am very troubled by the number of the potential areas of obstruction of justice that are mentioned in the report.” Some took the comments to mean that Craig supports moving forward with the impeachment process, including the National Republican Congressional Committee. “Yesterday Craig laid out for her constituents how exactly Congress should waste more of Minnesotans’ taxpayer money on baseless impeachment claims,” NRCC spokeswoman Carly Atchison said. “It is bizarre that Angie Craig now decides to pursue baseless impeachment, but regardless, she should stop peddling conspiracy theories and focus on Minnesotans.” Former Congressman…

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Minnesota Dems ‘Deeply Disturbed’ by Mueller Report, Republicans Say They’re Throwing a ‘Temper Tantrum’

Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election was officially released to the public Thursday. Reactions from Minnesota’s congressional delegation were predictably divided. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) said she was “deeply distributed” as she reviewed the report, claiming it has “proved Russian interference in the 2016 election.” “Second, there is ample evidence of attempts by the president to obstruct the investigation and the special counsel left it to Congress to decide whether that amounts to a crime. And the report demonstrates that the lies Trump associated told materially affected the course of the investigation,” Smith wrote in a statement posted to Facebook. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) agreed and pointed out that the report states that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 election “in a sweeping and systematic fashion.” “So despite the endless doubts cast by the president, this happened. Case made for my bill for backup paper ballots and post-election audits,” Klobuchar wrote on Twitter. First Page of Mueller report says that Russian government interfered in 2016 presidential election “in sweeping and systematic fashion.” So despite the endless doubts cast by the President, this happened. Case made for my bill for backup…

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Minnesota Politicians Come to Omar’s Defense After Trump Tweet

Innumerable politicians and commentators came to Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN-05) defense Saturday morning after President Donald Trump tweeted out a video of her controversial remarks at a recent CAIR fundraiser. As The Minnesota Sun reported, Omar delivered the keynote address at CAIR’s March fundraiser in Los Angeles, and faced criticism last week after video from the event showed her describing the 9/11 terror attacks as “some people did something.” On Friday, Trump tweeted a video of Omar’s remarks that was spliced together with footage from the attacks, captioning his tweet with “we will never forget.” WE WILL NEVER FORGET! pic.twitter.com/VxrGFRFeJM — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 12, 2019 By Saturday morning, Omar was trending on Twitter along with the hashtag “IStandWithIlhanOmar.” “The video that Donald Trump posted is dangerous, reckless, and I would say criminal,” DFL Chairman Ken Martin said. “For a president to target Ilhan, a member of Congress, is abhorrent to the values of our democracy. No member of congress should have to fear for their safety and his actions cross the line.” The video that @realdonaldtrump posted is dangerous, reckless & I would say criminal. For a President to target @Ilhan, a member of congress, is abhorrent…

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Angie Craig Refuses to Condemn New York Abortion Law at Town Hall

Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-02) hosted her second town hall Saturday in Red Wing, Minnesota, where she was asked about a number of issues, including universal health care and abortion. “The other thing that I wanted to ask you about is we’ve seen states recently that passed laws that legalized abortions up to and including the time of birth. And whether that’s right or wrong or moral or immoral—that’s not the question I have. But do you feel that’s something that should be paid for as a part of health care?” one constituent asked Craig towards the end of the event. But Craig’s response was: “What I want to tell you is that I appreciate the values that your comment is coming from. I don’t believe it is any politician’s role to get in the middle of a discussion of reproductive rights between a woman and her physician. I don’t believe there is a role for the federal government with respect to that question. Craig then proceeded to close out the event and thank her supporters for attending. Earlier in the town hall, the Minnesota congresswoman was asked about universal health, which she said she “absolutely” supports, but clarified that she…

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Rep. Angie Craig Issues Joint Letter to Trump Admin to Oppose Funding of Christian Foster Agencies

Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-02) recently issued a joint letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in response to his department’s decision to allow a South Carolina foster-care agency to refuse housing children with same-sex couples. In January, Azar granted a waiver to Miracle Hill Ministries, a Christian agency that requires foster parents to be Christian and of the opposite sex. President Donald Trump said during last week’s National Prayer Breakfast that his administration would continue to provide agencies such as Miracle Hill Ministries with federal funding so that they can “help vulnerable children find their forever families while following their deeply held beliefs.” Craig and fellow LGBTQ colleague Rep. Sean Maloney (D-NY-18) sent a letter to Azar on February 13 to protest his decision. “We write to you to express strong opposition to a waiver you department granted to South Carolina from nondiscrimination requirements for its state-contracted child welfare agencies,” the letter begins. “This harmful decision allows federally-funded child welfare agencies in South Carolina to discriminate on the basis of religion—an egregious violation of the very principles our nation and our child welfare system were founded upon.” The letter was co-signed by 95 House members, and concludes by…

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Ilhan Omar Faces Widespread Condemnation for Using Anti-Semitic Tropes

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) is once again facing backlash for multiple anti-Semitic tweets in which she suggested that Jewish money is responsible for bipartisan support of Israel. In response to journalist Glenn Greenwald’s claim that “it’s stunning how much time U.S. political leaders spend defending a foreign nation even if it means attacking free speech rights of Americans,” Omar suggested that it’s “all about the Benjamins baby.” It's all about the Benjamins baby 🎶 https://t.co/KatcXJnZLV — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 10, 2019 Then, when another journalist said she would “love to know who [Omar] thinks is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel,” Omar responded by exclaiming, “AIPAC,” which stands for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. AIPAC! https://t.co/UdzaFUEfrh — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 11, 2019 Her tweets were later condemned by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, as well as several Jewish organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). “As Americans and Jews, we expect our politicians to condemn bigotry, not to fuel it. Words matter. At a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise in the U.S. and abroad, Rep. Omar is promoting the ugly, anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that Jews have an outsized influence over politics,” said Jonathan Greenblatt,…

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Angie Craig Confronted by Woman Who Escaped Communism at First Town Hall: ‘This is How Communists Oppress People’

Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-02) hosted her “first of what will be many, many open town halls” Saturday morning at Burnsville High School, and tackled issues such as campaign finance reform, climate change, and gun control. At one point during the event, however, she was confronted by an immigrant woman “who escaped communism,” and expressed concern about the continued harassment of Trump supporters. “I am an immigrant who escaped communism. I am terrified at the prospect of America becoming an oppressive regime. It seems that the two most toxic words these days are Donald Trump. He has been called autocratic, dictatorial, and many other demeaning names. Yet nothing he has done compares to the permitted destruction and oppression of our justice systems of individuals who dare to support him,” the woman said. In particular, she pointed to the recent arrest of Roger Stone, whom she believes was arrested “for a crime of refusing to compromise his integrity.” “[It] is not representative of a free America,” the woman continued. “Neither is a system causing financial ruin and imposing jail sentences without proof and guilt for some, yet overlooking ample evidence and giving a pass to others. Nor is a dishonest media and…

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Multimillionaire Dean Phillips Won’t Take Pay During Shutdown, 0.2 Percent of His Net Worth

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN-03) announced Wednesday that he will forego his congressional salary during the government shutdown “in solidarity with hard-working federal employees who are working without pay or on furlough.” “I have officially requested that my salary be withheld until the shutdown ends. I’ll divide my shutdown pay equally, and contribute it to 2harvest, CornerstoneMN, and VVAmerica,” Phillips wrote on Twitter, saying he would donate the money to three different charities, including one that works with victims of domestic violence. In solidarity with hard-working federal employees who are working without pay or on furlough, I have officially requested that my salary be withheld until the shutdown ends. I’ll divide my #shutdownpay equally, and contribute it to @2harvest, @CornerstoneMN and @VVAmerica. pic.twitter.com/JDHhV4FYPO — Congressman Dean Phillips (@RepDeanPhillips) January 9, 2019 It’s now well-known that Phillips is the heir to the Phillips Distilling Company, and has started several successful businesses of his own, including Talenti Gelato and Penny’s Coffee. His personal financial disclosure forms show that he has an estimated net worth of up to $77 million, meaning the average congressional salary of $174,000 is just 0.22 percent of his projected net worth. His wealth was the subject of a November…

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New Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips Goes Back on Campaign Promise and Votes for Pelosi As Speaker

Both Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN-03) and Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-02) voted for Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12) as the next speaker of the house Thursday in one of their first official acts as members of Congress. Craig and Phillips both indicated on the campaign trail that they would like to see new leadership in the Democratic Party, but started to show signs of supporting Pelosi shortly after their respective election wins. Phillips was much more vocal on the issue, and in one interview stated “no” in response to questions from KSTP’s Tom Hauser on whether or not he would back Pelosi. He, like many freshmen members of Congress, said he would like to see “a new generation of leadership,” while Craig said she’d like for more members from the Midwest to move into leadership roles. But both of them skipped out on opportunities to oppose Pelosi, and Craig even spoke in favor of electing Pelosi during a November Democratic Caucus vote. After that vote, Phillips declined to answer questions from reporters on where he stood, as The Minnesota Sun reported. Both of them also neglected to sign their names to a letter issued by 16 Democrats in November calling for “new…

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Outgoing MN Rep. Jason Lewis’ Juvenile Justice Reform Bill Signed Into Law

Rep. Jason Lewis’ (R-MN-02) Juvenile Justice Reform Act (JJRA) was signed into law Friday by President Donald Trump as part of Congress’ sweeping criminal justice reform measures. According to Lewis, the JJRA hadn’t been “reauthorized or modernized since 2002.” Lewis’ reforms respond to the need for alternatives to detaining juveniles for “so-called ‘status crimes’ like skipping school.” The bill, H.R. 6964, offers a “plan to provide alternatives to detention for status offenders, survivors of commercial sexual exploitation, and others.” The bill also seeks to “reduce the number of children housed in secure detention and corrections facilities who are awaiting placement in residential treatment programs.” His bill will also modernize the juvenile-justice system by promoting “evidence-based and trauma-informed programs and practices,” and emphasizing “community-based services to respond to the needs of at-risk youth.” The bill further eliminates the use of restraints on juveniles who are known to be pregnant, and prohibits detaining juveniles who are awaiting trial with adult inmates. “Some of the most rewarding experiences I had in Congress were working with colleagues from all over the country and from varying political backgrounds on criminal justice reform,” Lewis said in a press release. “Today, my Juvenile Justice Reform Act was…

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