Klobuchar, Minnesota’s incumbent congresswoman wins re-election

WASHINGTON — Minnesota’s incumbent congressmen appeared to be headed for reelection Tuesday night, but it’s not yet clear who will be in the minority or majority in the next Congress.

Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar defeated Republican challenger Royce White, a former NBA player turned right-wing podcaster. But her election victory came as her party lost control of the U.S. Senate.

Before a somewhat subdued crowd at the Intercontinental Hotel in St. Paul, where the DFL party held its election night meeting, Klobuchar appealed for unity going forward.

“We voted for the results and now it is up to all of us to come together and govern as a state and as a country,” she said. “It is up to all of us to cross the river of our divides to reach a higher ground.”

Rep. Angie Craig, D-2nd District, the state’s most vulnerable federal lawmaker, defeated Republican rival Joe Teirab, a former Marine and federal prosecutor.

Craig based her campaign on her support for abortion rights. She also distanced herself from the Biden administration on several issues, including immigration, and visited the U.S.-Mexico border to emphasize her views.

Craig’s efforts to retain her swing seat in the 2nd District were boosted by President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.

Teirab, meanwhile, tried to tie Craig to the Biden administration, leaning on national GOP talking points — blaming Democrats for inflation and a rise in immigration and crime.

Teirab’s application was approved by Rep. Tom Emmer, R-6. District, who is the former chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and serves as House majority leader, as well as promoted by other House GOP leaders.

But he was not supported by 2nd District Republicans, who favored another GOP candidate, Tayler Rahm, a more conservative choice. Emmer persuaded Rahm to drop out of the race and instead take a volunteer job with the Trump campaign in the state. The intra-party feud has damaged Teirab.

Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Michelle Fischbach rejected a challenge from AJ Peters, who said he would have been happy to win 40% of the vote against his Republican rival. When the Associated Press called the race, Fischbach was leading Peters 68% to 32%.

And the AP also said that Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-5. District, defeated Republican Dalia Al-Aqidi, a journalist and Iraqi immigrant.

Like all of Omar’s re-election bids, the race attracted national attention and millions of dollars from abroad because of the lawmaker’s high profile as a progressive “Squad” member.

State Sen. Kelly Morrison, running for outgoing Rep. Dean Phillips’ 3rd District seat, defeated Republican Tad Jude, a former federal judge who has served in both the House and Senate.

In the southern 1st District, Republican Rep. Brad Finstad also defeated his rival, Democrat Rachel Bowman, and Rep. Pete Stauber, R-8. District, fended off a second challenge from former state Rep. Jen Schultz.

In the 4th District, Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum, the longest-serving member of Minnesota’s congressional delegation, defeated Republican May Lor Xiong, with about half the precincts reporting.

The AP also called the 6th District race for Emmer, who was running for the second time against Democrat Jeanne Hendricks.

Emmer and other GOP leaders addressed the crowd at the party’s election night gathering at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bloomington.

Calling virtually from Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida estate where the presidential candidate was watching his return, Emmer chided the media for calling Klobuchar’s race “in six minutes.”

He added: “You’re going to be very disappointed because when this night is over it looks like our House races are going to be as trendy as we need them to be.”

Finstad also attended the election party — where a joyful crowd erupted in cheers every time the GOP-leading totals appeared on the television screens — and said Republicans would “take back Minnesota.”

“We will make Minnesota powerful again and take back America,” he said.

As ballots were being counted across the country, it was still unclear whether control of the House would change hands, giving Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota greater influence and diminishing the influence of Republican lawmakers who have been under Republican control for two years had benefited from this chamber.

Democrats held on to several at-risk seats and ousted others in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and elsewhere Tuesday night, boosting their chances.

MinnPost reporter Ava Kian and Winter Keefer contributed to this report.

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