Angie Craig Bio
Angela Dawn Craig (born February 14, 1972) is an American politician, retired journalist, and former businesswoman who has served as the United States Representative for Minnesota’s 2nd congressional district since 2019. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represents a district that includes most of the southern suburbs of the Twin Cities and outlying rural areas to the southwest. She is the first openly lesbian mother elected to Congress and the first openly LGBTQ+ member of Congress from Minnesota.
Before entering politics, Craig built a career in journalism and corporate communications, working as a reporter and later as a communications professional at St. Jude Medical. After an unsuccessful first run for Congress in 2016, she won a 2018 rematch and has since held the seat through multiple reelections. In April 2025, she announced a campaign for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Tina Smith.
Early Life and Background
Angela Dawn Craig was born on February 14, 1972, in West Helena, Arkansas. She grew up in the region and attended Nettleton High School in Jonesboro, Arkansas, where she completed her secondary education. Her upbringing in the rural South shaped her early understanding of community and public service.
Craig went on to attend the University of Memphis, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism. Her college experience introduced her to the world of news reporting and storytelling, laying the foundation for her future career in journalism and communications. These formative years helped her develop the communication skills that would later define her professional path.
Path to US Politics
After graduating from the University of Memphis, Craig interned at The Commercial Appeal newspaper before becoming a full-time reporter. Her early career in journalism gave her firsthand experience covering local issues and understanding the concerns of everyday Americans. She later transitioned into the corporate world, working at St. Jude Medical in human resources and communications from 2005 to 2017.
During her time in the private sector, Craig became increasingly engaged in civic and community issues in Minnesota, where she had moved in 2005. Her experiences as a journalist, a working mother, and a corporate professional informed her decision to enter public service. In 2016, she launched her first campaign for the United States House of Representatives in Minnesota’s 2nd congressional district, setting the stage for her future in electoral politics.
Angie Craig Career
Early Career (2016)
Craig announced her candidacy for Minnesota’s 2nd congressional district in 2016, entering the race before Republican incumbent John Kline announced his retirement. She faced no opposition in the Democratic primary and advanced to the general election, where she challenged former conservative talk radio host Jason Lewis. Despite a competitive race, she lost by fewer than 7,000 votes in a closely watched contest.
That narrow defeat did not discourage Craig from continuing her political ambitions. Her 2016 campaign introduced her to voters across the southern Twin Cities suburbs and helped her build a network of supporters that would prove valuable in future elections. The experience also sharpened her campaign skills and deepened her commitment to representing her community in Congress.
Congressional Breakthrough (2018–2020)
In 2018, Craig sought a rematch with Jason Lewis and won decisively, receiving 52.6% of the vote and carrying three of the six counties in the district. Her victory made her the first openly lesbian mother elected to Congress, the first woman elected in Minnesota’s 2nd district, and the first openly gay person elected to Congress from Minnesota. When she took office on January 3, 2019, she became the first DFLer to represent the district since it was reconfigured as a south suburban district in 2003.
Craig’s first term was marked by active legislative engagement. According to the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, she held a Bipartisan Index Score of 0.3 in the 116th United States Congress for 2019, placing her 114th out of 435 members. On February 25, 2022, she introduced the Affordable Insulin Now Act, a bill intended to cap out-of-pocket insulin prices at $35 per month, which passed the House.
In 2020, Craig won reelection in a narrower contest, defeating Republican nominee Tyler Kistner by a slim margin after a legal challenge involving the death of a third-party candidate. The race was temporarily at risk of being postponed, but Craig successfully argued in federal court that moving the election date would violate federal election law. The Supreme Court ultimately declined to intervene, allowing the election to proceed as scheduled.
Reelection and Senate Campaign (2022–2025)
Craig continued her winning streak in 2022, defeating Tyler Kistner in a rematch with 51% of the vote to Kistner’s 46%. She expanded her margin in 2024, defeating Republican nominee Joe Teirab with 55.5% of the vote to Teirab’s 42.1%. Her 2024 performance was the best showing for a DFLer in the district since David Minge’s election to his final term in 1998.
Throughout her tenure, Craig has taken on leadership roles, including serving as co-chair of the centrist New Democrat Coalition. In December 2024, she became the first openly LGBTQ+ person and the first woman to serve as the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee. On April 29, 2025, she announced her candidacy for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Tina Smith, with Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan also seeking the Democratic nomination.
Notable Events and Milestones
Craig’s career has been defined by several significant moments, including her historic 2018 victory that broke barriers for LGBTQ+ representation in Congress. In 2023, she introduced the MCCARTHY Act, a creative response to intraparty disputes over federal spending that proposed withholding members’ pay during government shutdowns. Earlier, on February 9, 2023, she was physically assaulted in the elevator of her Washington, D.C., apartment building but escaped after throwing hot coffee in her assailant’s face, who was later sentenced to 27 months in prison.
Angie Craig Career Wins
Since her first successful congressional campaign in 2018, Angie Craig has won four consecutive general elections in Minnesota’s 2nd congressional district. Her victories span 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024, demonstrating consistent support from her constituents in the southern Twin Cities suburbs and surrounding rural areas.
Congressional Election Highlights
Craig’s first congressional win came in 2018, when she defeated Jason Lewis with 52.6% of the vote, carrying three of the six counties in the district. Her most recent victory came in 2024, when she defeated Joe Teirab with 55.5% of the vote, the strongest performance by a DFLer in the district in more than two decades. Each successive win has reflected her growing influence and the trust she has built with voters across the political spectrum.
Other Wins & Achievements
Beyond electoral victories, Craig has earned recognition for her legislative work and party leadership. She co-chaired the New Democrat Coalition, a centrist caucus within the Democratic Party, and became the first openly LGBTQ+ person and first woman to serve as the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee in December 2024. Her bipartisan work on issues like insulin pricing and agricultural policy has earned her a reputation as a pragmatic and effective legislator.
Angie Craig Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Craig was born in West Helena, Arkansas, and raised in the surrounding region. She has been open about her personal journey, including her fight for custody of her adopted son in Tennessee in 1997. Her experiences as a mother have been central to her identity and her political advocacy, particularly on issues affecting families and children.
Spouse and Children
Craig married her wife, Cheryl Greene, in 2008. Together, they have four sons, who were teenagers during Craig’s first run for Congress in 2016. The family lived in Eagan, Minnesota, for nearly ten years before moving to Prior Lake, Minnesota, in 2020. Craig is a Lutheran, and her faith and family life have been important anchors throughout her political career.