Angie Craig: Why I’m running for the United States Senate

By Angie Craig

I was raised by a single mom and my grandmother in a mobile home park. We didn’t always have health insurance, and there were times we needed food assistance. This fight is personal for me. I’m running for the United States Senate because I understand what so many Minnesotans are feeling today, and I want you to feel like the American Dream is within reach.

Eight years ago, I got off the sidelines because I knew that Donald Trump was a threat to Minnesotans. I haven’t worked in politics my whole life. But I have the experience to go into the Senate to fight for our Minnesota values on Day One.

I know that we’re in the fight of our lives and the first thing I will do as a Senator is hold this corrupt administration accountable – it’s why I voted to impeach Trump twice.

When I ran against the establishment to become the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee – I did it because I knew we would need fighters in Congress. I’m fighting to reverse Trump’s devastating cuts to SNAP and chaotic tariffs hurting family farmers. I’m fighting to restore Medicaid and to end this war in Iran that’s driving up costs and risking American troops.

But it’s not enough to just be against Donald Trump, we have to be clear about what we’re for.

I’m for creating jobs, lowering costs, and creating a tax system that helps the middle class, not billionaires. I’m for breaking up the corporate monopolies jacking up costs for working families.

I’m for childcare that’s affordable. I’m for taking on the health insurance companies by finally passing a public option. A public option is a big and bold idea. If we pass my Medicare-X Choice Act it would be the biggest reform to our healthcare system since the ACA (Obamacare) passed.

I’m for an immigration system that protects our Dreamers and guarantees hard-working, tax-paying, law-abiding immigrants a pathway to citizenship.

I’m for a country safe from the threat of gun violence. I’m for passing the PRO Act to make it easier to organize in America because organized labor built the middle class. We’ve long needed to clean up Washington, and it’s work I’ll continue to do because Washington isn’t representative of you. We can fix that by overturning Citizens United, banning members of Congress from trading and owning stocks and from becoming lobbyists after they’ve left office.

As a member of Congress, thirteen of my bills are now law. My bill to cap the cost of insulin for seniors at $35 has literally saved lives.

We closed the family glitch in the Affordable Care Act, expanding health care access for 62,000 Minnesotans. We made Narcan available over the counter so folks suffering from addiction can have another chance. I introduced the Patient Refunds for Bad Denials Act to hold health insurance companies accountable for their sky-high denial rates while they rake in record profits.

I’m taking on corporations that are working against middle class families. I co-founded the Monopoly Busters Caucus to fight corporate greed and lower costs.

This is the work I will expand on as your U.S. Senator.

I will always stand up for what’s right for Minnesota – especially when it’s tough. I promise you I will keep leading the charge in Washington to hold President Trump and his cabinet accountable. I refuse to give ICE another penny until this administration gets serious about dismantling the agency. And I’ll fight the mega corporations exploiting Minnesotans – because at the end of the day, the only people I am accountable to are you.

But here’s the thing: the only way to stop Trump’s abuses is by winning elections. And the only way to win is by meeting people where they are, extending a hand and bringing more people into the fold. Democrats of all stripes have failed – moderates and progressives. I saw that when I first stepped into the political arena as someone who had never held elected office a day in my life. I know that the Senate doesn’t need leaders that will just say that they are sick and tired of the old ways. We need people who will actually challenge the olds ways to get stuff done.

A lesson my grandmother instilled in me as a young girl was to always do more than what they ask of you. It’s a value I’ve held close to my heart my entire life. And it’s a value the U.S. Senate could use right now. It’s also why I believe to my core that if we keep fighting, if we keep believing and bringing people along, that around the corner lies that more perfect union.

I would be honored to earn your vote on August 11.

Angie Craig is the Democratic Congresswoman for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District and a DFL candidate for the U.S. Senate