Minnesota 2024 US House races

[Minnesota Mike]

A thread for the Minnesota House races.

[Minnesota Mike]

MN-02:

https://www.startribune.com/burnsville-criminal-defense-attorney-tayler-rahm-enters-congressional-race-angie-craig/600279940/

Minnesota's 2024 Second Congressional District race is on.

Newcomer Tayler Rahm, a criminal defense lawyer, launched his bid with a party at Brackett's Crossing Country Club in Lakeville on Wednesday. Rahm, 35, grew up in Savage and now lives in Burnsville.

The Republican, who runs his own law firm, is seeking to unseat Rep. Angie Craig, a Democrat who lives in Prior Lake. Craig has been fundraising but has not formally announced that she will seek a fourth term representing the south-suburban and rural district.

Never heard of him. Looks like a generic Republican lawyer.

[Minnesota Mike]

Any possible retirements?

Never say never but I doubt it.

[Minnesota Mike]

Ilhan Omar gets her first primary challenger.

https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-attorney-is-first-to-start-2024-dfl-primary-run-against-rep-omar/600297312/

A Minneapolis attorney who recently won a murder case dismissal and has served time as a repeat felony drug offender is the first Democrat to launch a 2024 challenge to U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar.

Sarah Gad, 36, filed with the Federal Election Commission last month.....

....Gad ran for Congress in Illinois in 2020 during a longshot attempt to unseat then-longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush. In a four-way Democratic primary, Gad finished a distant second with around 10 percent of the vote while Rush easily won with around 71 percent, according to election results.

Gad has no chance but she will help split the anti Omar vote. Former Minneapolis City Council Member Don Samuels, who challenged Omar in the 2022 primary and Minneapolis City Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw are more serious candidates looking at the primary. Unless the primary is a head to head matchup I would think Omar is safe.

[Minnesota Mike]

https://twitter.com/toreyvanoot/status/1691873464657785162

So much for the rumors she was going to primary Dean Phillips.  For those outside MN Franzen was the state senate minority leader before she retired when thrown in with another DFLer in redistricting. She is only 43 and is somebody to watch in the future but she is wisely IMO avoiding a longshot primary challenge in MN-03.

[Minnesota Mike]

End of the year update. It's going to be a dull year for elections in Minnesota. Only MN-02 has a shot of being competitive in November but even that does not look as competitive as the last couple cycles.

MN-01: Brad Finstad (R) currently has no challengers.

MN-02: Angie Craig (D) looks likely to be re-elected. She does have a couple mid level challengers in Tayler Rahm, a lawyer, and Joe Teirab, veteran and ast Fed Attorney. Frankly I don't know much about either but on paper Teirab has the more interesting bio.  So far this race has not received the national attention it did the past few cycles. It kind of feels like Craig is becoming entrenched.

MN-03: Open seat after Dean Phillips decided to to tilt at windmills. Surprisingly a late developing race for an open seat with only a couple Democrats announcing so far. State Senator/OB-GYN Kelly Morrison is the clear favorite over activist Ron Harris among those who have filed. Democrats have a deep bench and their field may grow but as of now the establishment seems to have rallied around Morrison. No idea what Republicans are up to.

MN-04: Safe Betty McCollum (D).

MN-05: Safe Dem. All the action is in the primary where Ilhan Omar (D) faces a handful of opponents who will likely split the anti Omar vote.

MN-06: Safe Tom Emmer (R).

MN-07: Safe Michelle Fischbach (R).  She does face a primary from the far right but should not be much of a concern.

MN-08: Safe Pete Stauber (R). Democrats do have a quality recruit in former State Rep Jen Schultz who was also Stauber's opponent in 2022 but this district is too far gone for Democrats.

[Minnesota Mike]

Something I missed from a few days ago, MN Sec of State Steve Simon will not run for the 3rd District seat. Looks like things are clearing for St Senator Kelly Morrison (D).

https://twitter.com/thauserkstp/status/1743412432205127796

[Minnesota Mike]

MN-03: Republicans got a well known name if not exactly a fresh face to run in MN-03, Tad Jude. Jude was the youngest person ever elected to the state legislature at the age of 20 (as a Democrat) in 1972. He served 16 years between the House and Senate before serving as a Hennepin County Commissioner.  He switched parties in 1992 and barely lost a US House race to Bill Luther in 1994. He lost again by a larger margin in 1996. He was elected as a district judge in a rare open race in in 2010 and served until he hit mandatory retirement age (70) in 2021. He ran for MN AG in 2022 and after he lost at the convention ran and lost as a candidate for Hennepin County Attorney. Like I said he has been around awhile.

Still a safe Dem seat but at least Republicans have found a name candidate to run.

[Minnesota Mike]

Ron Harris is out in #mn03, leaving only Sen. Kelly Morrison on DFL side.

https://twitter.com/Stowydad/status/1762473633606148559

[Minnesota Mike]

It's been awhile so I thought this thread could use an update.

Congressional District endorsing conventions started this weekend with Republicans holding most of their conventions. Democrats will start in a couple of weeks but there is nothing interesting happening there.

MN-01- Democrats have found a non embarrassing sacrificial lamb in Rachel Bohman. She is a former township board member and county attorney from Rochester. This seat is still safe Finstad (R) though.

MN-02- Only real interesting congressional race in the state. Attorney Taylor Rahm easily won the party endorsement yesterday despite his opponent Joe Teirab having raised far more money and having more institutional support. After changing his mind about abiding by the endorsement Teirab is heading to the primary. Democrats are thrilled at the prospect of a late possibly bitter Republican primary. Likely Craig (D).

MN-03- State Senator Kelly Morrison has cleared the field on the Democratic side. Tad Jude (see lengthy resume above) won Republican endorsement. The rest of the Republican field has dropped out so Jude will likely be the nominee. Safe Morrison (D)

MN-04- Safe McCullum (D)

MN-05- All the action is on the Democratic side with a rematch of the 2022 primary in August. Likely Omar, Safe D

MN-06- Safe Emmer (R)

MN-07- Michelle Fischbach (R) is facing a primary challenge from her right from businessman Steve Boyd. It's tough to get to Fischbach's right but Boyd is trying. The endorsing convention deadlocked (Fischbach led but couldn't get the needed 60%) so it goes to the primary. Despite the annoying primary for her this is still Safe Fischbach (R).

MN-08- Safe Stauber (R)

[Minnesota Mike]

MN-05 (D): As expected Ilhan Omar got the endorsement at the CD convention with 63% on the first ballot (60% needed). Don Samuels will continue on to the primary. This is actually a little closer than I expected as the convention is usually made up of the most left wing activists.