Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., says she is running for Senate to replace Sen. Tina Smith, leaving a gaping hole in a very competitive district.
Craig will join a hotly contested Democratic primary to replace Smith, who announced last year that she would not seek re-election. Craig currently occupies the seat for Minnesota’s second congressional district, a toss-up that Republicans are now hoping to take in her absence.
“Out of touch Democrat Angie Craig just announced she’s running for Senate, and MN-02 is now an extremely competitive open seat. With this district wide open – and many House Democrats racing for the exits for a promotion – national Democrats are in deep trouble,” National Republica Congressional Committee spokesman Zach Bannon said in a statement.
“The writing is on the wall for House Democrats, and their vulnerable members like Angie Craig are racing for the exits. Republicans look forward to flipping this open seat red,” he added.
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In her announcement video, Craig attacks President Donald Trump for “trampling our rights and freedoms as he profits.”
“There’s chaos and corruption coming out of Washington, crashing down on all of us every day,” she says before setting her sights on Elon Musk. “An out-of-control, unelected billionaire is trying to take over our government and burn it to the ground.”
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She then blasts Republicans in Congress as “cowardly” for “rolling over and letting it all happen.”
“We’re proud Minnesotans — a state of fierce independence, freedom and community. People willing to take on the powerful and fight for what’s right,” Craig continues. “It’s why I’m running for U.S. Senate: to listen, to fight for all of Minnesota and to win.”
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Recent polls have shown Democrats struggling to gain support, particularly among young Americans, a demographic they have typically held with no problems.
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A new poll from the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics shows approval of congressional Democrats among young Americans has dropped to 23%, down from 42% in early 2017. Approval for congressional Republicans stands at 29%, slightly improved from previous years. President Donald Trump’s approval rating among 18-29-year-olds is at 31%, virtually unchanged from the beginning of his first term.
