Angie Craig and Joe Teirab spar over abortion rights, economy in policy-driven debate
MINNEAPOLIS — Democrat U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and her Republican challenger Joe Teirab went head-to-head in a policy-driven debate on Friday, giving voters a glimpse on where they stand in the most competitive congressional race in Minnesota.
The 2nd Congressional District, which covers the south Twin Cities metro and also more rural parts of the state, is a traditionally purple district that's tinted more blue in recent years. Craig widened her victory in 2022 compared to 2020 and she's seeking her fourth term.
Teirab, a Marine and former state and federal prosecutor, is the Republican running to defeat her. If he's successful, it would mark the first time a Republican won in the district since 2016.
"I've proven, I don't have to promise, I've proven already that I will be an independent voice for Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District," Craig said.
In a roughly 50-minute debate hosted by MPR News, the pair clashed on social security, immigration, abortion rights and the economy in their first match-up.
"I appreciate a lot of the work that you've done, but clearly, the results aren't there," Teirab said. "The middle-class families are looking for results. Look, if you hire a contractor to do some work at your house and they didn't do a good job, they somehow messed up, you're not going to hire them again."
Teirab zeroed in on the economy, listing it as the reason he jumped into the race. He blamed her for supporting bills he said helped drive the highest inflation in a generation two years ago to a soaring 9.1%. It dropped to 2.5% recently, prompting the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates.
Still, Americans are struggling with the cost of living and the economy is consistently listed as a top issue in polling.
"Congresswoman Craig voted for those bills that threw gas on the inflation fire. I think we can go a different direction," Teirab said. "We do have a clear choice here in this election. We have the status quo in the economy with Congresswoman Craig, and we have a different direction to cut reckless spending, root out waste, fraud and abuse, and we need to lower taxes. Families need it."
Craig noted that pandemic-era spending happened under both President Donald Trump and President Biden and that inflation has cooled over the last two years. She highlighted provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that capped the cost of insulin to $35 a month.
"At the end of the day, we've come through a global pandemic. I think the Fed rate cut is good news to American consumers, but this is an area — gas prices, grocery prices, prescription drug costs — that I've been laser-focused on as a member of Congress from the 2nd District," she said.
Her campaign has made abortion rights a key focus, blasting the airwaves with television ads declaring his stance on the issue as wanting "reproductive rights to go away."
The country currently has a patchwork of laws in the wake of Roe v. Wade's reversal. Minnesota lawmakers codified abortion rights, while several other states have banned or seriously restricted access to the procedure.
When asked Friday, Teirab said he would not support a federal abortion ban, but believes it is an issue better left to the states to decide.
"If you're in Congress and you won't stand up and say, 'No way, I'm not going to stand by while a state forces a rape survivor to carry a child with no choice for 40 weeks and have that child,' you don't belong in Congress," Craig said.
In his rebuttal, Teirab accused Craig of running attack ads that deliberately mislead voters.
"You want to confuse voters about my stance. I support the exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. You shake your head as if that's not the case. It is the case," he said. "I think what voters need to understand is you have to put these false attack ads against me because you can't run on your record, on the economy, on the border, on crime."
Despite some tense moments, the debate remained civil and the pair had moments where they found common ground. Nonpartisan election forecasters peg the district as "leans Democrat," which is a change from its toss-up status two years ago.
Still, the campaign is competitive and the outcome could determine the balance of power in Washington.
Craig touted her work on bipartisan policies and highlighted how she has broken with her party's ranks on issues like border security, agriculture and law enforcement issues. Teirab characterized himself as a "political outsider" and Craig as the "status quo."
She repeatedly attacked him for suggesting, in a comment caught on tape, that social security should be privatized and that Congress should raise the retirement age.
"If you believe that I'm going to be in favor of cutting Social Security benefits to my parents who live here in Minnesota, you're severely mistaken," Teirab said.
He added that the retirement age won't increase, but Congress should find a solution to bring the popular social program back on a path toward solvency.
The pair will debate again next week in an event hosted by the Dakota County Regional Chamber.
To watch the full MPR News debate, click here.