Rematch Confirmed: Angie Craig Will Challenge Lewis Again

EAGAN, MN — Angie Craig confirmed Monday that she plans to seek the Democratic-Farmer-Labor endorsement to face Congressman Jason Lewis in a rematch in Minnesota’s second congressional district. Craig plans to embark on a listening tour of the district before formally launching her campaign this fall.

Craig is married to Cheryl Greene and they have four sons, three of whom are in college and a fourth who will be a freshman at Rosemount High School.

“We deserve a representative who will listen to everyone – even those we might disagree with - and then work to create a level playing field for every family,” Craig, 45, said in a statement. “I’m ready to use my experience to work to lower healthcare costs and ensure every family has access to care. I’m ready to fight for public education and more affordable college and job training. I’m ready to fight for good paying jobs and for the Social Security and Medicare benefits that Minnesotans have already paid for. I’m ready to fight Washington to make sure this district is heard and gets what it deserves.”

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“Washington is failing our families – and Jason Lewis is part of the problem. Instead of being an independent voice, Lewis has marched in lockstep with President Trump and Congressional Republican leaders. The fight for healthcare is just one example – he voted to increase premiums and deductibles, to raise costs dramatically for older Americans and to cut coverage for millions of Americans - all to give a tax cut to the rich. Lewis then celebrated in the Rose Garden,” said Craig.

“Minnesotans deserve a representative who will put us first and provide a check on the erratic behavior we have seen so far from this administration. It’s clear we won’t get that from Jason Lewis.”

Lewis campaign official responds

In a statement responding Craig's announcement, Jason Lewis for Congress spokesman Stephen Bradford said that "After voters rejected Angie Craig's radical ideas in 2016, it looks like she'll fight over those same bad ideas this time around with Jeff Erdmann."

"Seems as though these Democrat candidates just haven't learned their lesson," Bradford continued. "One candidate already wants to threaten Medicare solvency with a government-run single payer plan, and today's announcement from Angie Craig means more of the same from someone who did more to bring Obamacare and the failed MNSure exchange to our state than almost anyone else.

"These very liberal candidates either obstruct real healthcare, tax and regulatory reform or veer hard-left with dangerous new schemes. Minnesota families have already seen through Angie Craig, and her profiteering off the ACA's huge premium hikes is yet another example of how she's wrong for the district.

"The 2nd district deserves better than Bernie Sanders-style Democrats, but after the DFL is done fighting over who's more liberal, Jason Lewis will still be standing up for our families and getting things done."

The next Second Congressional District election for the U.S. House of Representatives will take place Nov. 6, 2018.

Image via Angie Craig for Congress Press