Fourth-term Republican state Sen. Eric Pratt, of Prior Lake, announced a bid for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District on Monday.
Pratt joins Democrat colleague Sen. Matt Klein in the 2026 race for the seat, which is left open following Rep. Angie Craig’s bid for Sen. Tina Smith’s Senate seat. Pratt is entering the race for a competitive purple district, which covers the south Twin Cities metro area; Scott, Dakota and Le Sueur counties; and parts of Rice County and Washington County.
State Sen. Eric Pratt, of Prior Lake, announced his bid for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District on July 21, 2025.
“This campaign is about putting families first,” Pratt said in a Monday news release. “The people of the Second District deserve a representative who listens, understands their challenges, and delivers real results. President Trump is making strides and bringing energy back to our economy, but families in CD2 still need someone who can win in November to keep that momentum going. This open seat is critical, and it’s going to take a Republican in Congress who will fight to deliver real relief where it’s needed most.”
Pratt co-chaired the Senate Finance Committee when the Senate was tied in 2025, and sits on the Capitol Investment and Jobs and Economic Development committees. Outside of the Senate, Pratt has worked in finance for U.S. Bank and Target, according to his campaign website.
The 2026 race for the 2nd Congressional District seat is expected to be one of the most competitive of the state’s congressional districts.
Craig first flipped the congressional seat in 2018, which had been red since 2001. She was narrowly reelected in 2020 with 48% of the vote and in 2022 with 51%, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State. Craig won the purple district most comfortably in the 2024 general election, when she defeated Republican Joe Teirab with 55% of the vote.
Other candidates in the race include Democrat and former state Sen. Matt Little, as well as Republican Tyler Kistner, a former U.S. Marine Corps member.
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