State Sen. Matt Klein, DFL-Mendota Heights, announced Tuesday that he will be running for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District in 2026.

The announcement from Klein comes shortly after Democrat Rep. Angie Craig’s announcement on April 29 to run for U.S. Sen. Tina Smith’s seat in 2026. Klein has led efforts to legalize sports betting in Minnesota during recent legislative sessions. Klein enters alongside former DFL state Sen. Matt Little, who announced a bid on April 30.

“Minnesotans in my district are really concerned about the cost of their lives,” Klein told Forum News Service on Tuesday morning. “They’re worried about their finances, their jobs, their health, and even the foundations of our democracy. They deserve leaders who can lead with responsibility and solve problems and work across the aisle. That’s the way Angie Craig has led, and that’s the kind of leadership I think I can bring.”

Klein enters a race for a competitively purple congressional district, which covers the south Twin Cities metro area; Scott, Dakota and Le Sueur counties; and parts of Rice County and Washington County. Craig first flipped the seat in 2018, which had been red since 2001. She was narrowly reelected in 2020 with 48% of the vote and in 2022 with 51%. Craig won the district most comfortably in the 2024 general election, when she defeated Republican Joe Teirab with 55% of the vote.

“What I’ve shown in my work, not just as a doctor for 30 years, but here at the Legislature, is that I’m willing to work with people from any party in any background, so that we can deliver results for the people we care for … I’ve been effective at doing that, and I plan to bring that same sort of leadership forward,” Klein said. “I think that’s what the voters of CD 2 have rewarded Angie Craig for doing, and I plan to follow in that line.”

Klein was born and raised in the east metro, attended Mayo Medical School and currently works at Mayo Clinic in internal medicine, according to his campaign. He and his wife, Kristine, have five young adult children and live in Mendota Heights.