Tayler Rahm drops out of Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District Republican primary, clearing path for Joe Teirab

Joe Teirab (R) is running in the Republican primary for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District on August 13, 2024. He will face incumbent U.S. Rep. Angie Craig (D) in the November general election.

Tayler Rahm (R) also ran in the primary but dropped out in July. Rahm said he suspended his campaign to serve as a senior advisor to former President Donald Trump’s (R) campaign in Minnesota. Rahm said, “In my opinion, there is nothing more important for this district than getting Biden or a Democrat replacement out of power and getting Donald Trump back in the White House. Therefore, I will suspend my campaign operations and focus on doing everything possible to save our country.”

Before Rahm dropped out of the race, Minnesota’s 2nd District Republican Party endorsed Rahm at the party’s convention. Speaker of the U.S. House Mike Johnson (R) endorsed Teirab.

Rahm and Teirab criticized each others’ professional records at a January debate. According to Michelle Griffith of the Minnesota Reformer, “Teirab criticized Rahm for being a public defender who represented people charged with crimes, while he was on the side of fighting for the conviction of alleged criminals. Rahm fired back and said that while Teirab was a district attorney, he cut plea deals with those same alleged criminals. Teirab closed the rebuttal by saying everyone has a right to criminal defense, but a defense attorney shouldn’t be the person to challenge Craig on her public safety record.”

Rahm received a bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Thomas and a J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law. Rahm works as an attorney. Rahm describes himself as a political outsider and says he would reduce the size and cost of the federal government. Rahm said, “Meeting people in the middle of anti-American ideas doesn’t make you bipartisan, itmakes you weak. Now is not the time to be weak, now is the time to fight and that fight starts right here in 2024 when I defeat Angie Craig.” Rahm also says he would work to increase arrest rates for criminals, limit illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border, promote school choice, lower healthcare costs, and end the United States’ involvement in wars.

Teirab received a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Teirab served in the U.S. Marine Corps and worked as an assistant U.S. attorney, assistant county attorney in Nicollet County, and teacher at Copper Mountain College. Teirab says he is running because he believes Democrats are ruining the American dream. Teirab said, “Angie Craig is a rubber stamp for Joe Biden’s radical spending agenda that’s made life unaffordable for everyday middle-class Minnesotans like you and me…And just like every federal criminal trial that I was a part of, I will win that fight because this country, our country, is worth fighting for.” Teirab also says he would work to increase accountability for criminals, reduce inflation and the size of the federal government, reduce immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border, and increase parents’ roles in education.

As of July 16, 2024, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, and Larry J. Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated the district Lean Democratic, and Decision Desk HQ and The Hill rated the district Likely Democratic.

This is one of 15 elections across the country in which Speaker of the U.S. House Mike Johnson endorsed a Republican candidate in a primary race. Nine endorsees have advanced from their primaries so far. One endorsee did not advance from the primary. Five of these races have not occurred. To see a full list of these endorsements click here.