The minnesota delegation
congressional officials …
Minnesota is a diverse congressional delegation for its size.
Of the ten 2022-2023 class members, six are female, four are male, and one is of Somali heritage.
Three are lawyers, and two have Master’s degrees.
The University of Minnesota has conferred two degrees - the highest received by any member of the delegation.
The average tenure for the delegation is 3.5 terms, assuming everyone completes their service through the end of 2024. The longest-serving member has been in Congress for 12 terms.
One member of the Minnesota delegation is a freshman. One of the Senators is up for re-election in 2024.
When you look at these profiles, we have given each a letter grade for their effort this Congress, based on various factors, which you will find in What Is Thomas Looking For? These letter grades are probably pretty familiar to you if you have ever been a school student (we hope the answer to that is we all have!)
If you see a meager score for a particular member, it will probably be due to one or two key factors: ethics challenges or anti-democratic behavior.
Republicans have been hit hard on their lack of pushback on former President Trump and their support of election denying in the 2020 presidential campaign. The unanswered soaring deficit on their watch, the dismantling of allied relationships around the globe, and opposition to funding anti-authoritarian initiatives. The denial of climate change weighs heavily on us as well. We make no secret that transparency and Government in the Sunshine are important to us, and we further argue that some have been awful stewards of this category. For example, one of the ten current Minnesota delegation members voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results the same evening Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol.
Democrats have been hit hard for their lack of progress on key matters because they do control the United States Senate and have a razor-close margin in the U.S. House of Representatives. They have not been, in our opinion, innovative or necessarily insistent on finding rational, reasonable solutions to the problems plaguing the American public today. We want to see more and better.
Both have been dinged for being too partisan and not collaborative where evident. In our opinion, being too doctrinaire or an obstructionist to good government in the 21st century does not get one a good grade from Thomas.
We also indicate what we believe might be the outcome of these Members’ 2024 elections today. The overwhelming majority of House members were re-elected in 2022.
Our prospect ratings fall into three categories:
Safe Bet - which means what it means. These members of Congress are running strong and look to be overwhelming prospects for re-election at this time. However, we reserve the right to re-categorize their chances if necessary.
It’s A Race - means this race is too close to call, and we can not reasonably predict who will win this seat.
Nudging - means the seat is leaning one way or another for this candidate. We have just a small number of current members of Congress in this category. Stay tuned!
So, would you like to meet these fascinating Minnesotans? If so, just keep reading on!
WHAT is thomas looking for?
Minnesota is a politically balanced state and Thomas only sees one potentially vulnerable race in 2024 to watch:
MN02 - Annie Craig’s seat (Incumbent D)
the senators
Credit: US Senator Amy Klobuchar
United States Senator amy klobuchar (D)
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar is the senior senator serving the great state of Minnesota. She is completing her third term in the Senate and is running for re-election in 2024. Klobuchar serves on the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee; the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; the Judiciary Committee; the Joint Economic Committee; and the Rules and Administration Committee which she chairs. Married and the mother of one, the Senator ran unsuccessfully for President in 2020. Klobuchar is a graduate of Yale University and has a law degree from the University of Chicago.
Thomas Take: Running for Re-Election in 2024 - Nudging Democrat
Thomas Rank: A
Credit: US Senator Tina Smith
United states senator tina smith (D)
Minnesota’s junior senator is serving her second full term having been appointed in 2017 when she was the state’s Lieutenant Governor. She serves on the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee; the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee; and the Indian Affairs Committee. The married mother of one is a graduate of Stanford University and has a Master’s degree from Dartmouth College.
Thomas Take: Not Up For Re-Election in 2024
Thomas Rank: B
the representatives
Credit: US Rep. Brad Finstad
district 1 - u.s. rep. brad finstad (r)
Congressman Brad Finstad is a freshman member of Congress representing a district that runs along the southern parts of Minnesota stretching from the Wisconsin border to the South Dakota border. The married father of seven serves on the Agriculture and Armed Services committees. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: B
district 2 - U.S. Rep. annie craig (D)
Congresswoman Annie Craig is in her third term in the U.S. House representing the southern suburbs of the Twin Cities. A retired journalist and businesswoman, Congresswoman Craig serves on the Agriculture Committee and the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Married and the mother of four, Craig graduated from the University of Memphis.
Thomas Take: Nudging Democrat
Thomas Rank: B
Credit: US Rep. Annie Craig
Credit: US Rep. Dean Phillips
District 3 - U.S. Rep. Dean phillips (d)
Representing the western suburbs of the Twin Cities, Congressman Dean Phillips is in his third term in Congress and serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Small Business Committee. Congressman Phillips is currently a Democratic candidate for President running against President Joe Biden. He graduated from Brown University, has a graduate degree from the University of Minnesota, is married, and is the father of two.
Thomas Take: Not Running for Re-Election in 2024 - (Open Seat) - Safe Bet Democrat
Thomas Rank: B
District 4 - U.S. Rep. betty mccollum (d)
Representing the St. Paul area, Congresswoman Betty McCollum is a twelve-term member of the House who serves on the Appropriations Committee. McCollum is a graduate of St. Catherine University.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Democrat
Thomas Rank: B
Credit: US Rep. Betty McCollum
Credit: US Rep. Ilhan Omar
district 5 - U.S. rep. ilhan omar (D)
Representing Minneapolis in the House, Somalia-American Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is in her third term. A former member of the Minneapolis House of Representatives before her election to Congress in 2018, Omar is a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee and the Budget Committee. A graduate of the University of North Dakota, the Congresswoman is married and the mother of three. She is one of two Muslims serving in Congress.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Democrat
Thomas Rank: C
district 6 - U.S. rep. tom emmer (r)
The House Majority Whip and five-term member of Congress, Tom Emmer, represents the northern and western suburbs of the Twin Cities area. An unsuccessful candidate for Governor in 2019 and for U.S. House Speaker in 2023, Emmer serves on the Financial Services Committee, is married, the father of seven, a graduate of the University of Alaska, and earned a law degree from the William Mitchell College of Law.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: C
Credit: US Rep. Tom Emmer
Credit: US Rep. Michelle Fischback
district 7 - U.S. rep. Michelle Fischback (r)
Congresswoman Michelle Fischback represents a very rural area of the western side of Minnesota. She is a second-term member of the House who serves on the Ethics Committee, the Rules Committee, the Budget Committee, and the Ways and Means Committee. A graduate of St. Cloud State University with a law degree from the William Mitchell College of Law, Fischback is married and the mother of two.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: D
district 8 - U.S. rep. pete stauber (r)
A former professional hockey player, Pete Stauber is the three-term Congressman for the seventh district of Minnesota which encompasses the Duluth area. He graduated from Lake Superior State University, is married, the father of four, and serves on the Natural Resources Committee, the Small Business Committee, and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: B
Credit: US Rep. Pete Stauber