On Tuesday, Jan. 20, the Carleton Democrats (CarlDems) hosted the college’s first-ever Congressional Debate for Minnesota’s Second Congressional District (CD2). In total, over 350 people viewed the debate, which was held in-person at Olin Hall and shared over a livestream on the CarlDems YouTube.

“We thought it would be a great opportunity for Carleton students to get to have a direct involvement with the campaigns if we hosted a debate here,” said Lizze Appelbaum ’28, a Vice President of CarlDems.

Craig, who currently represents CD2, gave the opening address at the debate. She urged students not to give in to Donald Trump, and highlighted her work as CD2’s representative and spoke about her current campaign for the Senate.

Northfield, as well as the south Twin Cities metro area and the entirety of Scott, Dakota and Le Sueur counties, are in CD2. The Jan. 20 debate included the three candidates currently vying for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) nomination for CD2’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

State Senator and Mayo Clinic physician Matt Klein is running to be Craig’s successor. He has represented District 53 in the southeastern Twin Cities metropolitan area since 2017 and has emphasized healthcare.

“This is a critical moment for healthcare. It’s in crisis across America, and especially here in Minnesota. With the coming cuts to medical assistance, hospitals will close, and people will go without care,” Klein said. “I bring the experience of 35 years as a physician to this discussion. We need a voice of sanity to restore healthcare to Minnesotans.”

State Representative Kaela Berg of District 55B (Burnsville, Dakota County) has held office since 2021. Berg also works as a flight attendant and has a history as a union organizer.

“I’ve been fighting for hardworking families for over two decades. I’ve been a union flight attendant for 22 years… I started learning about my union, joined it, and realized the passion that I had to make sure that all workers have access to fair wages, benefits, that there’s dignity and safety in the workplace,” Berg said. 

Candidate Matt Little does not currently hold public office. However, he served one term as state senator for District 58 (the southern Twin Cities metro area)and was mayor of Lakeville. In his opening address, he spoke about confronting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents about the recent killing of Renee Good. If elected, he plans to limit the agency’s power.

“So for me, the fight against ICE is personal [because my wife is an immigrant], and that’s why last week I responded to an ICE raid,” said Little in his opening statement. “There were 60 or 70 agents surrounding this small apartment building, and I confronted one of the ICE agents, and I said, ‘Are you proud of what you’re doing?’”

CarlDems explained that, while preparing for the debate, they gathered four overarching themes from student submissions and synthesized them into four broad questions for all the candidates to answer. Then, each candidate received more specific questions, also written by students.

“Questions are going to be about immigration, health care, the economy and bipartisanship in Congress,” said Appelbaum.

When the debate’s moderator and Professor of Political Science and International Relations Greg Marfleet asked about ICE, all candidates issued statements opposing their actions in the Twin Cities.

“In terms of policy, the first thing we should do [is] reduce ICE funding to pre-Trump levels in the long term, we should completely replace ICE with a law enforcement agency people can actually trust,” said Little.

Berg described escorting union members to their cars and going on ICE patrols. Klein highlighted delivering meals to constituents in St. Paul on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and he has also called for accountability for ICE agents.

A noticeable divide among the candidates stood out around the theme of bipartisanship.

“I don’t go on Twitter, and I don’t throw bombs. I go there to get a job done and not call attention to myself,” said Klein. “I’ve worked with [Republican] Senator Duckworth in the Minnesota legislature on a bill that prohibits whippets [nitric acid capsules sold in convenience stores]. It came from a Republican, and I was in the Commerce Committee to try to move it forward.”

Little offered a different perspective. “Prior to [the Trump] administration, I really believed in bipartisanship. …. I’m the only state senator in the history of the Minnesota state senate that has gotten two Republicans to sign onto a background check bill for private [gun] sales,” said Little. “But now, I’m not going to validate a single iota of their work.”

Little explained he hopes for a return to bipartisanship, but stated his main goal is to bring Congress back to the Democrats and to reverse Republican policies. 

Berg expressed a more moderate perspective. “Will I work with Republicans? I’d really rather not. And I’m not going to work with fascists,” she said. “But if there is somebody in Congress that wants to stand beside me and with me to fight for hardworking families in this district and across the nation, I’ll do it.”

During the debate, some candidates highlighted faults of their opponents, including voting on bills they disagreed with and taking donations from Political Action Committees (PACs). 

“I don’t take AIPAC money. That is the difference between Senator Klein and me. Representative Berg is endorsed by a national super PAC. I think that’s a clear delineation,” said Little.

“I’m proud of the endorsements I have received,” said Berg. “I am funding my campaign through organizations whose values match mine, through individual donors that see a candidate like me: blue collar, working class, single mom, living in affordable housing. When I talk to my voters and I tell them my story and they tell their story back, it is resonating. They are ready for a different kind of candidate.”

Little also criticized Klein for voting in favor of legislation he felt harmed Minnesotans. “[Klein] chief authored the bill that allows private insurance companies to discriminate against people 70 years or older, based on preexisting conditions,” he said

“I won’t have anyone challenge my dedication to ensuring healthcare access for everyone,” Klein responded. “If Medicare for all comes up on the Congressional floor, I will naturally vote for it.”

At the debate’s end, visitors reflected on broader meaning.

“I’m very proud to see the College Democrats sponsor an event like this, and I was very pleased to see such a good turnout…. It’s good for Carleton to see strong candidates, and I think all three candidates had strong perspectives that they put forth very clearly,” said Carleton President Alison Byerly. 

“[The debate] really made me realize how important Carlton and Northfield are for Congressional District Two. And so it was [to see] there are other people who are engaged in politics on this campus that care about the future of our country,” said Dominik Polley ’29.