The race against Joe Teirab and Angie Craig for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District seat concludes in a week.

Teirab brings experience as a federal prosecutor to the race

Joe Teirab quit his job as a federal prosecutor, hoping to unseat incumbent Angie Craig in the 2nd Congressional District.

“I think the most important thing is that I’m for change,” he says. “I’m not the status quo.”

Teirab, 37, says his main problem is the economy: cutting public spending and regulations.

“We had tax cuts that passed in 2017 and the small business owners I spoke to in the 2nd District were big fans, making sure they had more money in their pockets,” he notes.

This is Teirab’s first candidacy for public office.

He is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, having served in Iraq as a judge advocate and later serving as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Feeding Our Future government fraud case and several criminal investigations.

“In the RICO prosecution investigation of the large Bloods criminal gang, I was literally in a war room working and leading law enforcement from all types of agencies,” Teirab explains.

Teirab has an anti-abortion stance, except in cases of rape, incest or saving the mother’s life.

But he is against a federal ban and instead says it should be up to the states.

“My mom got pregnant with me, it wasn’t planned, and she went to a crisis pregnancy center that encouraged her and gave her support,” Teirab says. “That’s just why I’m here today.”

He says he wants more resources for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and that some immigrants who are in the country illegally should be deported.

Although Teirab adds that the government should not “detain people who have been here twenty years.”

According to Federal Election Commission documents, Teirab’s campaign has raised nearly $3 million, compared to Craig’s nearly $8 million.

Our KSTP/SurveyUSA poll from earlier this month shows Craig leading Teirab by eight points, 49% to 41%.

He thinks the race is getting tighter.

If Teirab emerges victorious on election night, he would be the first Republican to win both^{North Dakota} District seat since 2016.

“We’re changing this by working hard and sticking to those issues that we know people care about, which is the economy driving down prices, making sure we secure our border,” Teirab says.

Craig prioritizes infrastructure, solar in race for office

Incumbent Democratic Rep. Angie Craig says she, her team and other supporters knocked on 20,000 doors last weekend as they work to retain Minnesota’s second congressional seat, a position she has held since 2019.

A week before Election Day, Rep. Craig participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony outside the Dakota County Service Center for her new solar carport, while helping secure $7.6 million for that and other solar projects in the county.

“I’m prioritizing your money and bringing it home,” Craig told county workers and officials.

He also highlighted his support for the Infrastructure Reduction Act and its impact on public infrastructure projects.

Other focuses of her campaign have been supporting law enforcement, college and healthcare accessibility, and protecting reproductive rights.

“Families don’t want politicians involved in their health care decisions. That’s what most families in the 2nd District tell me every day,” Craig told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.

Although the 2nd District is considered one of, if not the most competitive races in the state, Craig says she feels confident running against Republican candidate Joe Teirab. He points to his bipartisan work on Capitol Hill as a reason for that confidence.

“In 2023 I voted against the Biden Administration 30% of the time. That makes the Biden Administration not happy with me all the time, or the Democrats not happy with me all the time, but my job is to represent Minnesota’s Second District,” said Rep. Craig.

View candidate profiles for all key federal races. 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS follows up in our 2024 Election Guide.