Democratic Minnesota state Rep. Kaela Berg is running to replace Rep. Angie Craig (D) in the state’s Second Congressional District.
The flight attendant, union leader, and mother from Burnsville announced her candidacy on Wednesday, with two union endorsements already under her belt. The United Steelworkers, the Association of Flight Attendants, and Emily’s List have each backed Berg, according to her campaign website.
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“As a union flight attendant for more than two decades and a proud labor leader, I know the power of working people standing together. I’ve spent my life fighting for fair pay, safe workplaces, and dignity on the job, and I’ll carry that fight to Congress every single day,” Berg said in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
Berg juxtaposed the timing of her announcement with the government shutdown and the current gridlock in Congress. “With Washington shut down, it’s clearer than ever we need leaders who’ll fight for us — not billionaire donors,” she wrote on X.
Her campaign website mentions her passion for union organizing and track record of fighting in the Minnesota House for school funding, healthcare protections, and efforts to end gun violence.
“Kaela feels the pain of a Congress made up of multimillionaires,” Berg’s campaign website reads. “Kaela’s running for Congress to take that fight to Washington—lowering the cost of groceries, health care, housing, and utilities, making the wealthiest pay their fair share, protecting health care access and strengthening our education system.”
Berg does not have a bachelor’s degree and is one of few working-class state legislators nationwide, according to the Minnesota Reformer. She was a flight attendant for over 20 years and was a delegate for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary.
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Berg, who has been in the Minnesota House since 2021, was serving in her third term when Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman was shot and killed in an act of political violence. Berg issued a letter honoring Hortman following the shooting. She has fought for stricter gun laws in the state, authoring a house bill addressing straw gun purchases in 2024 after a shooting occurred in her home district.
Berg joins state Sen. Matt Klein and former state Sen. Matt Little in the Democratic primary for the Second District seat, which will be held on Aug. 11, 2026. The general election will be held on Nov. 3, 2026. Craig, who is running for Sen. Tina Smith’s (D-MN) seat, has not endorsed any of the candidates vying to fill her seat. Smith is retiring and not seeking election in 2026.