Angie Craig facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Angie Craig
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Official portrait, 2025
|
|
| Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 |
|
| Preceded by | David Scott |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota's 2nd district |
|
| Assumed office January 3, 2019 |
|
| Preceded by | Jason Lewis |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Angela Dawn Craig
February 14, 1972 West Helena, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Cheryl Greene
(m. 2008) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | University of Memphis (BA) |
Angela "Angie" Dawn Craig (born February 14, 1972) is an American politician. She used to be a journalist and a businesswoman. She is a member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL). Since 2019, she has served as a U.S. representative for Minnesota's 2nd congressional district. This area includes many southern suburbs of the Twin Cities. It also has some rural areas to the southwest.
Angie Craig grew up in Arkansas. She worked in journalism and company communications. In 2005, she moved to Minnesota for a job at St. Jude Medical. Craig first ran for Congress in 2016. She lost by a small number of votes to Jason Lewis. But she defeated him in their next election in 2018.
Craig is the first openly LGBT+ person from Minnesota to be in Congress. She is also the first lesbian mother to serve in Congress.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Angie Craig was born in West Helena, Arkansas, in 1972. She finished high school at Nettleton High School in Jonesboro. She earned a college degree in journalism from the University of Memphis.
After college, Craig worked as a reporter. She lived in London from 2002 to 2005. From 2005 to 2017, she worked at St. Jude Medical. There, she handled human resources and communications.
U.S. House of Representatives
Becoming a Representative
2016 Election
In 2016, Craig ran for the United States House of Representatives in Minnesota's 2nd congressional district. She announced she would run before the current Republican representative, John Kline, said he was retiring. She had no opponents in her party's primary election. In the main election, she ran against Jason Lewis. He was a former talk show host. She lost the election by fewer than 7,000 votes.
2018 Election
Craig ran against Jason Lewis again in 2018. She had no opponents in her party's primary election, just like in 2016. In the main election, she defeated Lewis.
Craig made history in this election. She became the first openly lesbian mother elected to Congress. She was also the first woman elected in Minnesota's 2nd district. And she was the first openly gay person elected to Congress from Minnesota. She won with 52.6% of the votes. She took office on January 3, 2019. She was the first DFLer to represent this district since 2003.
2020 Election
In the 2020 election, Angie Craig ran for re-election. There was a legal challenge about the election date. A federal judge decided that the election should happen on November 3 as planned. The appeals court agreed with this decision. The Supreme Court also rejected an appeal. So, the election went ahead on November 3.
2022 Election
In the 2022 election, Craig ran against Republican Tyler Kistner again. She won with 51% of the votes.
What She Does in Congress
Angie Craig works to get things done in Congress. She often votes with her party's views. But sometimes she votes differently from the President.
On February 25, 2022, Craig introduced a bill called the Affordable Insulin Now Act. This bill aimed to limit the cost of insulin to $35 per month. The bill passed in the House of Representatives.
In April 2023, Craig's office announced a change. Her staff would no longer need to have college degrees.
Craig also helped with talks for the 2024 United States federal budget. She introduced a bill called the MCCARTHY Shutdown Act. This bill suggests that members of Congress should not get paid if the government shuts down.
Her Committees
For the 118th Congress, Angie Craig is part of these important committees:
- Committee on Agriculture
- Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development
- Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit
- Committee on Energy and Commerce
- Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
- Subcommittee on Health
Groups She Belongs To
Angie Craig is also a member of several groups in Congress:
- Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus (she is a co-chair)
- New Democrat Coalition
- Congressional Coalition on Adoption
Her Political Views
On February 1, 2023, Craig voted to end the national emergency for COVID-19. She was one of 12 Democrats to do so.
Craig voted to give Israel support after the 2023 Hamas attack.
Personal Life
In 2020, Craig moved to Prior Lake, Minnesota. Before that, she lived in Eagan, Minnesota, for almost 10 years. She married her wife, Cheryl Greene, in 2008. They have four sons. Her sons were teenagers when she first ran for Congress in 2016.
Angie Craig is a Lutheran.
See also
- List of LGBT members of the United States Congress
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
Images for kids
-
Angie Craig in 2016
-
Angie Craig at a campaign event in Apple Valley, Minnesota
