By Lindsey Peterson and Blois Olson July 26, 2022 WCCO Radio
Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig (D) is set to receive a major endorsement Tuesday from Dakota County Sheriff Tim Leslie.
WCCO Radio political analyst Blois Olson says the endorsement is big for Craig as crime continues to be a hot topic headed into November. He spoke to Vineeta Sawkar on the WCCO Morning News and says this endorsement goes a long way to showing Craig’s support for law enforcement when public safety is a major campaign issue.
“Republicans have tried to paint with a ‘defund the police’ label, even though she was never for that, never said it,” Olson explains. “In fact she called it BS out loud. So Tim Leslie will endorse Angie Craig in a press release and gives a very thoughtful quote in the press release.”
Leslie says in his endorsement that Angie Craig has proven herself to be “a thoughtful, moderate voice for Dakota County in Congress.”
Second Congressional District Republican opponent Tyler Kistner has said Craig has not done enough to denounce the increased crime and violence following the death of George Floyd in 2020.
“I am calling on Angie Craig to denounce these dangerous ideas, straight out of the far-left playbook,” Kistner says. “Angie Craig has previously failed to condemn violence and riots in downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul and refuses to call out her own party’s failures in the biggest crisis our state has ever faced.”
Craig did come out against the ballot initiative in Minneapolis which called for replacing the police department.
CD2 is expected to be a very tight race. It’s the second time Craig and Kistner have vied for this seat, with Craig being elected in 2020 by just under 10,000 total votes.
Both candidates are expecting another razor-thin margin between them this year. There is also significant interest nationally as the GOP tries to flip the House and both national parties are putting major resources – and money – into this race, one of a few they think is vulnerable to switching to the Republicans.