Politics and Government News

Republicans endorse Tayler Rahm to challenge incumbent Angie Craig for Congress

man at podium
GOP candidate Tayler Rahm at the Second District convention on Saturday.
Mark Zdechlik

Delegates to Minnesota’s 2nd District Republican convention Saturday endorsed criminal defense attorney Tayler Rahm to run against three-term Democratic Rep. Angie Craig.

The endorsement will work in Rahm’s favor, but he’s not guaranteed the GOP spot on the November ballot in the race against Craig. That’s because former federal prosecutor Joe Teirab recently reneged on his pledge to honor the endorsement and drop out if he didn’t win it.

Joe Teirab
Former federal prosecutor Joe Teirab, pictured Saturday, will challenge Tayler Rahm in the August primary.
Mark Zdechlik | MPR News

Teirab will now challenge Rahm in the August primary. But Rahm said he’ll be focused on the general election.

“From here on forward we’re moving onwards and our opponent is Angie Craig,” Rahm said. “We’re going to defeat her.”

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) criticized both GOP candidates.

“Tayler Rahm and Joe Teirab will battle it out for the next four months but we already know the outcome of the GOP primary: a MAGA extremist who will be a guaranteed vote for their party’s dangerous agenda of banning abortion nationwide and putting Social Security and Medicare on the chopping block,” the DCCC wrote in a press release.

The 2nd Congressional District includes many south metro suburbs and a portion of south-central Minnesota. The November contest is expected to be among the most competitive congressional races in the country this year.