U.S. Representative Angie Craig has officially launched her bid for the U.S. Senate, making national headlines and energizing LGBTQ voters across the country. Craig, the first out LGBTQ person elected to Congress from Minnesota, announced her candidacy Tuesday with a fiery campaign video released on President Trump’s 100th day back in office. Craig says, “There’s chaos and corruption coming out of Washington, crashing down on all of us every day…And damn if we don’t have a fight going on right now.”
She didn’t hold back, accusing former President Trump of trampling queer rights and freedoms as he profits, while calling Elon Musk someone who wants to “burn the government to the ground,” and blaming a “cowardly Republican Party” for enabling it all. Craig’s campaign quickly received a boost from Equality PAC, the national group focused on electing queer lawmakers. Co-chairs Representative Mark Takano and Representative Ritchie Torres said, “Angie Craig is a proven fighter, and we are confident she will bring that same grit and commitment to the U.S. Senate on behalf of all Minnesotans.”
The 53-year-old lesbian congresswoman flipped a competitive suburban-rural district in 2018 and has won reelection in tough races since. While known as a centrist in the House, her Senate run signals a shift to a more progressive tone, though she remains a consistent voice for LGBTQ rights. Craig, who’s raised four sons and two grandsons with her wife Cheryl Greene, told The Advocate last year, “We’re no different from anyone else. I keep trying by example.” If elected, Craig would make history as only the second out lesbian ever elected to the U.S. Senate.
