Angie Craig Enters Minnesota Senate Race, Leaving Toss-Up House Seat in GOP Crosshairs

Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., has announced her bid for the U.S. Senate, aiming to fill the seat soon to be vacated by Sen. Tina Smith. With Craig stepping away from Minnesota's hotly contested Second Congressional District, Republicans are already circling the open seat like sharks at a summer pool party.

Craig's move instantly shakes up the Democratic primary, which was already promising plenty of drama after Smith announced she wouldn't seek re-election. The Second District—always a toss-up—now becomes a prime target for the GOP, with the National Republican Congressional Committee wasting no time in declaring the Democrats are 'in deep trouble.'

In a statement, the NRCC took a swing at Craig, accusing her of being 'out of touch' and suggesting that Democrats are scrambling for promotions while the party faces an uphill battle. The message was clear: Republicans can practically smell the flip.

Craig’s campaign video didn’t hold back either. She went after former President Donald Trump for 'trampling our rights and freedoms as he profits,' and called out Elon Musk, labeling him an 'out-of-control, unelected billionaire' bent on taking over the government. (Honestly, when billionaires start collecting government branches like they're rare Pokémon, you know things are getting weird.)

Craig also criticized congressional Republicans for being 'cowardly,' accusing them of letting chaos and corruption roll unchecked. She framed her Senate run as a fight for Minnesota values—independence, freedom, and a fierce sense of community—vowing to 'take on the powerful' and win for all Minnesotans.

But it's not all rosy for Democrats. Recent polling paints a rough picture: support among young voters—a demographic that usually leans blue—has dropped significantly. Approval of congressional Democrats among 18-29-year-olds now sits at just 23%, according to the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics, down from 42% in early 2017. Congressional Republicans are doing only slightly better at 29%, while Donald Trump’s approval among young folks is holding steady at 31%.

With this much up for grabs, Minnesota's political scene is shaping up to be more unpredictable than a Midwest spring storm.