Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District election, 2016

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Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District

General Election Date November 8, 2016

Primary Date August 9, 2016

November 8 Election Winner: Jason Lewis

Incumbent prior to election: John Kline

Race Ratings Cook Political Report: Toss-up Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean D Rothenberg & Gonzales: Toss-up/Tilt D

Minnesota U.S. House Elections District 1 • District 2 • District 3 • District 4 • District 5 • District 6 • District 7 • District 8

2016 U.S. Senate Elections

The 2nd Congressional District of Minnesota held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 8, 2016.

Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District was a battleground district in 2016. Republican incumbent John Kline, who began serving in Congress in 2002, chose not to run for re-election in 2016, leaving the seat open. Jason Lewis (R) defeated Angie Craig (D) and Paula Overby (I) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Craig faced no primary opponent, while Lewis defeated Matthew Erickson, John Howe, and Darlene Miller in the Republican primary on August 9, 2016.

HIGHLIGHTS

Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District seat was open following incumbent John Kline's retirement.

The district narrowly voted in favor of Barack Obama in both 2012 and 2008.

Heading into the election, Angie Craig (D) had a significant lead in fundraising over Jason Lewis (R).

Candidate Filing Deadline	Primary Election	General Election
May 31, 2016	August 9, 2016	November 8, 2016

Primary: A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Minnesota utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was John Kline (R), who was first elected in 2002. Kline did not seek re-election in 2016.

Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District covers the south Twin Cities metro area and includes Dakota, Goodhue, Scott, and Wabasha counties and portions of Rice and Washington counties.

Election results

General election

U.S. House, Minnesota District 2 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Jason Lewis	47%	173,970
	Democratic	Angie Craig	45.2%	167,315
	Independent	Paula Overby	7.8%	28,869
	N/A	Write-in	0.1%	360
Total Votes				370,514
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

Primary election

U.S. House, Minnesota District 2 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Jason Lewis	48.9%	11,641
Darlene Miller	30.7%	7,305
John Howe	13.6%	3,244
Matthew Erickson	6.8%	1,612
Total Votes		23,802
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

Candidates

General election candidates:

Angie Craig
Jason Lewis a
Paula Overby

Primary candidates:

Democratic

Angie Craig a

Republican

Matthew Erickson
John Howe
Jason Lewis - Radio show host a
Darlene Miller - President and CEO of Permac Industries

Not running:

John Kline (R) - Incumbent

Withdrew:
Mary Lawrence
Pam Myhra
David Gerson (R)

Race background

Angie Craig was one of the initial members of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Red to Blue Program. The program "highlights top Democratic campaigns across the country, and offers them financial, communications, grassroots, and strategic support."

Endorsements

Angie Craig

• The state Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL)
• Minnesota Teamsters Union:

• Teamsters Joint Council 32 - "We are pleased to put our support behind Angie Craig who we know will be a strong advocate for working men and women across Minnesota and our country."
• Teamsters Local 120 - "We believe Angie Craig will be the best representative for CD2 and a strong voice for labor on many fronts."

• Sen. Al Franken - "I know Angie Craig will be another champion for Minnesota values."
• Human Rights Campaign - "Angie Craig has worked tirelessly in both her personal and professional life for fairness, justice, and equality. We are confident she will continue that fight as a pro-equality voice in Congress. HRC is proud to endorse her to represent Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District."
• DFL Feminist Caucus
• Sandra Pappas - President of the Minnesota Senate
• Rep. Keith Ellison - "Angie will work diligently to advance economic prosperity for all families, to strengthen our commitment to seniors, and to promote high-quality public education and debt-free college."
• Rep. Tim Walz - "Angie will use her talent and experience to meet the challenges that face our state and our nation."
• Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) - Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, chaired by incumbent Rep. John Kline (R)
• Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) - Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce member, chaired by incumbent Rep. John Kline (R)
• United Steelworkers (USW) - "Although our union does not usually endorse candidates in primary elections, we’ve made an exception for Angie Craig. She’s fighting to build a better future for all Minnesotans – and we stand ready to join her in the battle to rebuild the middle class."

John Howe

• The National Rifle Association

Jason Lewis

• Sen. Dave Thompson - "There is nobody better at communicating with people from anywhere on the political spectrum. But more importantly, Jason is committed to our values, he is consistent, and he is knowledgeable."
• Sen. Dan Hall
• Rep. Steve Drazkowski
• Bill Cooper - a former chairman of the statewide GOP
• The state Republican Party
• Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson - "Jason Lewis is both a principled conservative and a truly substantive policy mind. For those of us who desire our congressional representatives to focus on ideas and substance rather than rhetoric and politics, Jason’s the guy. I enthusiastically support his candidacy for Minnesota’s 2nd district."

Polls

Minnesota's 2nd District - Angie Craig vs. Jason Lewis
Poll	Angie Craig	Jason Lewis	Margin of Error	Sample Size
SurveyUSA October 13-16, 2016	46%	41%	+/-4/1	600
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected]

Media

Angie Craig

Support

"Start" - Craig's first campaign ad, released August 2016

"Better" - Craig's second campaign ad, released August 2016

"Voice" - Craig campaign ad opposing Lewis, released September 2016

"Serve" - Craig campaign ad, released October 2016

Opposition

"Expand" - NRCC ad opposing Craig, released October 2016

Jason Lewis

Support

"Getting The Job Done" - Lewis' first ad, released August 2016

"Monster" - Lewis campaign ad, released October 2016

Opposition

"Worst of All" - House Majority PAC ad opposing Lewis, released October 2016

Darlene Miller

"Trust" - Miller's first ad, released July 2016

Campaign themes

Angie Craig

“	Jobs and Economy: Above all, we should reward entrepreneurship by making it easier for people to start and grow small businesses. For newly established businesses, navigating complex tax paperwork and regulations is extremely difficult... We should also increase tax deductions for business start-up expenditures and organizational costs. And while we’re at it, let’s increase tax deductions for healthcare costs for self-employed individuals...Congress also must invest in infrastructure revitalization, research and development, and manufacturing—all fields that provide meaningful career opportunities while improving our nation for years to come. We also need to be sure that our workers have the right skills for these high-paying, high-growth technical jobs by investing in workforce development initiatives. Affordable College: In order to stay competitive in the global economy, we must build an affordable higher education system. One way we can do this is by strengthening Pell Grants. If Pell Grants were indexed to keep up with the rising cost of college, 9.2 million students would see an increase of $1,300. We also must allow students to refinance their debt at lower interest rates. Seniors: 1.5 million Baby Boomers live in Minnesota, and many of them will rely on Social Security and Medicare to ensure their economic security in their later years. That’s why I oppose any changes that would undercut these programs. We should look for ways to strengthen both programs, instead of using the retirement of millions of Americans as a political football. Public Health: When I’m elected to Congress, I will work to expand the funding allocated in the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). This bipartisan bill allows the federal government to provide states with grants to fund a variety of programs aimed at curbing prescription opioid and heroin abuse. Democrats and Republicans came together to authorize good, meaningful initiatives. But funding fell short. Climate Change: Climate change is certainly a threat to our environment and the health and safety of our people. But it also presents us with a great opportunity to create economic growth through smart public policies. We must continue to promote federal policy that encourages growth in the renewable energy sector. Investments in wind, solar, and other alternative energy sources will be key to decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels.	”
—Angie Craig's campaign website, http://www.angiecraig.com/issues

Jason Lewis

“	Jobs and Economy: You can’t tax and spend your way out of a tax and spend crisis. Moreover, overregulation is hampering business growth and stifling job creation... It’s time to get our economy working for all Americans, and that means making work pay again. It means encouraging capital formation right here at home instead of abroad. It means an end to substituting bailouts for bankruptcy for the well connected and instead unleashing the real engine of economic growth: small and medium-size businesses. Reforming the Tax Code: Today’s IRS code–filled with loopholes and tax credits for every conceivable special interest–has over four million words...We need a flatter and fairer tax code that not only treats everyone the same, but encourages work, savings, and investment. Education: Let’s not put our children on an education assembly line with one-size fits all bureaucratic testing. We need real changes–such as merit pay, collective-bargaining reform, seniority rules changes, and school choice–in order to best serve our children. Terrorism and Borders: The only way to keep our homeland safe, along with slowing the influx of criminals and drugs, is to enforce the laws on the books and secure the border. Further, the fiscal cost of unlawful immigration is simply unsustainable. Healthcare: Empowering healthcare consumers should be issue one for any representative. And we do that by undoing the costly ACA ‘essential health benefits,’ allowing individuals to buy policies across state lines, and enacting true portability by changing the tax code.	”
—Jason Lewis' campaign website, https://join.jasonlewis2016.com/issues/

Campaign contributions

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Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

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Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

Jason Lewis

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Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

Angie Craig

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Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

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The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may not represent all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer, and campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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District history

2014

See also: Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District elections, 2014

The 2nd Congressional District of Minnesota held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. John Kline (R) defeated Mike Obermueller (D) and Paula Overby (IND) in the general election.

U.S. House, Minnesota District 2 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	John Kline Incumbent	56%	137,778
	Democratic	Mike Obermueller	38.9%	95,565
	Independence	Paula Overby	5%	12,319
	N/A	Write-in	0.1%	186
Total Votes				245,848
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

2012

See also: Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District elections, 2012

The 2nd Congressional District of Minnesota held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012. John Kline (R) won the election in the district.

U.S. House, Minnesota District 2 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	John Kline Incumbent	54%	193,587
	Democratic	Mike Obermueller	45.8%	164,338
	NA	Write-in	0.1%	521
Total Votes				358,446
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State, "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" (dead link)

Important dates and deadlines

See also: Minnesota elections, 2016

The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in Minnesota in 2016.

Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016
Deadline	Event type	Event description
February 1, 2016	Campaign finance	2015 year-end report of receipts and expenditures due
May 17, 2016	Ballot access	Candidate filing period opens
May 31, 2016	Ballot access	Candidate filing period closes
July 25, 2016	Campaign finance	First report of receipts and expenditures due (covering January 1 through July 18)
August 9, 2016	Election date	Primary election
October 31, 2016	Campaign finance	Second report of receipts and expenditures due (covering January 1 through November 24)
November 8, 2016	Election date	General election
January 31, 2017	Campaign finance	2016 year-end report of receipts and expenditures due
Sources: Minnesota Secretary of State, "Filing Periods," accessed June 12, 2015 Minnesota Votes, "2016 Election Dates," accessed June 12, 2015 Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, "2016 Disclosure Calendar," accessed October 28, 2015

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota, 2016
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2016

Footnotes

For information about public policy issues in the 2016 elections, see: Public policy in the 2016 elections!

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Minnesota's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Amy Klobuchar (D)

Tina Smith (D)

Representatives

District 1

Brad Finstad (R)

District 2

Angie Craig (D)

District 3

Dean Phillips (D)

District 4

Betty McCollum (D)

District 5

Ilhan Omar (D)

District 6

Tom Emmer (R)

District 7

Michelle Fischbach (R)

District 8

Pete Stauber (R)

Democratic Party (6)

Republican Party (4)