Gonna spend the rest of the hour focused on two of Minnesota's most watched congressional races.

In just a few minutes, the candidates running to replace outgoing third District Congressman Dean Phillips will join us live in the studio.

But first, the state's congressional delegation is split 50-50, four Democrats, four Republicans representing Minnesota.

Once again the most competitive congressional district is in the South Metro and beyond.

Mary Lahammer takes us there.

3 ... 2 ... 1 ... (cheering) When a sitting member of Congress gets to cut a ribbon for a project like a veterans park, incumbency clearly has its advantages.

Incumbency, I don't know if it has its advantages, but I can tell you this is one of the favorite parts of doing the job of being a member of Congress.

I've worked since I've been a member of Congress to try and bring your tax dollars home.

Hi.

How's it going, Diane?

The Republican challenger, Joe Teirab, is introducing himself to voters as a new candidate in the second Congressional district.

I grew up in a small town.

Lived the American dream.

Getting to serve our country in the Marine Corps.

Getting to serve our communities by being a federal prosecutor.

And now I just want to help people live their American dream.

Personally delivered.

Look at that.

- Thank you.

Congresswoman Craig flipped the divided district blue by beating radio talk show host Jason Lewis six years ago and fending off Republicans since.

Your opponent's now going after you as being in Washington too long.

What do you say to that?

Do you feel like you've been there too long?

I had a 22 year private sector career before I even ran for Congress, and I was first sworn in in 2019.

I actually think term limits are a good thing and I support them.

Why do you think you're different than the people she's run against before?

I'm really focused on on the issues, the issues like the economy.

And Angie Craig, we’ve seen an accumulation of what her voting record has gotten people, middle class families.

She voted for reckless spending bill after reckless spending bill that led us into this inflation mess.

My track record of being the sixth most independent member in the Democratic Party, I hope, is, you know, actually proof that I've been an independent voice for us.

She can talk about these different stats, but the reality is she voted for the Inflation Reduction Act.

She said in a debate in 2022 that it would reduce the deficit.

Lo and behold, it actually raised the deficit.

In the last three elections that Congresswoman Craig has prevailed in, it's always been by a single digit margin in a district that continues to change and grow.

I love this district because it's the most evenly divided district in America, currently represented by a Democrat.

You have to listen across the aisle.

You have to listen to people across the political spectrum.

And I love that about this district.

And, you know, no matter what I do, half the district is mad at me.

And sometimes it's Democrats who are mad at me, and I'm okay with that.

The district is a unique mix of suburban, exurban and rural, and that's where Teirab thinks he has an advantage.

I think I'm great at it, honestly.

I grew up in a small town.

My dad worked at a beef processing plant down in Windham, a 4000 people town.

I grew up playing on all the sports teams, because you don't have to be super great to get on every sports team in a small town.

And I'm a son of an immigrant from Sudan who came to America, lived his American dream.

They actually agree on the top economic issue, but diverge after that.

First, tackling costs in my district.

Abortion is the number two issue at the doors in this district.

And look, you know, this is about freedom.

There's one thing about the second district is it's about 30% Republican and 30% Democrats, 30% independent and 10%, you know, they don't like either one of us.

Number one issue, are you hearing economy here?

It's definitely the economy, right?

Because we all go to we all go to the grocery store, right?

We’re paying a ton.

She said number two is the issue of choice and abortion, and she thinks that's where she's got you.

Well, she says that's the second issue.

If we're looking at if we're talking to the people at the doors, when I'm talking to people at the doors, I hardly ever hear someone bringing this issue up.

I have a new opponent.

He's the most anti-choice.

He's been an anti-abortion activist since college.

And, it's been a really interesting process of running against him because, you know, he's trying to run back his record.

But at the end of the day, he was in a pro-life organization in college.

He's on the board of a so-called pregnancy crisis center.

She and her campaign dig into your background and say, your background, you know, in college and a board you sit on that makes you absolutely anti-choice.

Is that relevant today?

I don't think so.

I mean, I'm proud to work for organizations that do great things in communities that bring hope to people.

I mean, that organization that she failed to mention is the organization that supported and gave resources and loved my mom when she was pregnant with me.

He's in leadership of an organization that defines marriage as between a man and a woman, and also prohibits adoption by same sex families.

And this is personal for you.

- You know, it's personal.

My wife and I, we have four sons and a family.

This is America.

You have a r to marry who you want to marry.

Love who you want to love.

That's what I support.

Adoption, too?

- Of course adoption.

We want more families, loving families in our country.

She's using it as a political wedge because she doesn't want to confront the issues that she's been wrong on.

Like the border.

Like the economy.

Both believe this election could be close and unpredictable.

It's always been tough in presidential year cycles.

I've run this race just like I’ve run the others - run hard.

Thank you for doing the right thing.

I know you're not exactly a Democrat.

Well.

That's, hey.

That doesn't, you know.

We're all Minnesota citizens.

This is a close race, and we're going to be fighting hard to the finish line.

Okay.

- Sweet.

All right, we're going to win this thing.

Let's go.