The Case Against Joe Teirab

“Joe Teirab has worked his entire life to end abortion, and now he wants to go to Congress to ban it nationwide. The last thing Minnesotans want is a politician like Teirab making women’s personal health care decisions for them. In stark contrast, Angie Craig is the independent voice her district needs, remaining focused on making life easier for families by bringing down costs, making communities safer, and protecting reproductive freedom,” said DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene. 

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To: Interested Parties
From: Mallory Payne, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: August 13, 2024
Subject: The Case Against Joe Teirab

Joe Teirab faced a brutal GOP primary, even after he was the only one left in the race. Case in point? Minnesota’s Second Congressional District’s Republican Party refused to endorse Teirab. In fact, rather than endorse Teirab, they doubled down on their endorsement of another candidate who had already dropped out of the race.

Now, Teirab is heading into the general election with a fractured base, no momentum, no money, and an extreme agenda to ban abortion that is far out-of-step with Minnesota.

In contrast, Angie Craig has a strong, bipartisan record of delivering real results for middle class families, and Minnesotans know they can trust Angie to look out for them. Angie is always willing to work across the aisle to find solutions for her district, ranking among the top 3% of most bipartisan members of Congress.

Angie knows that for too many Minnesotans, hard work doesn’t pay off like it used to. That’s why she is working tirelessly to lower costs for the middle class by writing the bill that capped insulin at $35 per month for seniors, fighting to end federal taxes on Social Security benefits, and working to lower gas prices.

Angie has also made it a priority to support law enforcement and make communities safer. Her bipartisan bill to crack down on fentanyl was signed into law and now she’s working to make it easier for police to get armored vehicles. Angie was endorsed unanimously and earlier than ever by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association because they know she has their backs in Congress.

While Angie is a staunch defender of reproductive freedom, Joe Teirab’s top priority is banning all abortions with no exceptions. His dangerous agenda couldn’t be more out-of-step with this district, and Minnesota voters will make that clear at the ballot box in November.

A Lifelong Abortion Ban Activist, Joe Teirab Is Wrong For Minnesota

Joe Teirab’s mission is to ban abortion; he’s dedicated his life to it, from his college days at Cornell to his campaign for Congress.

As a student at Cornell University, Teirab was a leader of the Cornell Coalition for Life. There, he said opposing abortion was his “biggest issue” and that he opposed abortion “regardless of the conception,” including in cases of rape and incest. Teirab also became a board member for a Minnesota crisis pregnancy center, which masquerades as a medical clinic while attempting to manipulate pregnant women. Teirab’s center misleads patients about abortion and pushes information that’s “not supported by science.”

It’s no wonder then that Teirab, who celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade, supports allowing states to pass extreme abortion bans with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the woman.

Now, Teirab wants to bring his lifelong abortion ban activism to Congress. He is endorsed by Speaker Mike Johnson, who has led efforts to ban abortion nationwide, and Teirab has taken more than $230,000 from politicians pushing to ban abortion nationwide with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the woman’s life that could also outlaw IVF and other fertility treatments.

Teirab is also backed by MAGA Republicans working to implement their Project 2025 agenda that would restrict access to birth control and medication abortion, increase the threat of prosecution for abortion care, and make it easier for politicians to access women’s private medical information. It even proposes the government collect data to track who had abortions and where — and punish states that refuse to share that information.

There is a reason MAGA extremists are eager to bring Teirab to Washington – they know he’ll help push their national abortion ban over the finish line.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Star Tribune: Angie Craig bill lifts armored vehicle restrictions for police on the heels of Burnsville shooting [Star Tribune, 5.15.24]

Minnesota Reformer: Angie Craig wants to make it easier for cops to get armored vehicles [Minnesota Reformer, 5.15.24]

CBS News: As frustration around postal service in southeast metro grows, Rep. Angie Craig demands changes [CBS News, 10.26.23]

St. Cloud Times: MN Senator Klobuchar, Rep. Craig introduce bill to crack down on fentanyl trafficking [St. Cloud Times, 7.5.24]

Fox 9: Rep. Craig introduces bill to eliminate federal tax on Social Security benefits [Fox 9, 1.26.24]

KAAL: Rep. Angie Craig introduces bill to stop pay during possible government shutdown [KAAL, 11.22.23]

Star Tribune: Rep. Angie Craig has major fundraising lead in swing district race [Star Tribune, 7.18.23]

Star Tribune: GOP primary in Minnesota’s Second Congressional District marked by confusion, intraparty feuding [Star Tribune, 8.6.24]

“Since Rahm suspended his campaign, neither he nor the Second Congressional District Republican Party has endorsed Teirab.

“Backed by grassroots conservatives, Rahm overwhelmingly won the Second Congressional District Republican Party’s endorsement over Teirab before he suspended his campaign. His departure left loyal supporters upset after they campaigned for him.

“Some of them are now reluctant or refusing to back Teirab because he didn’t follow through on his pledge to drop out if he did not get the party’s endorsement. Some are also upset because they view Teirab as an establishment candidate and point to Rep. Tom Emmer’s joint fundraising committee Emmer Majority Builders backing Teirab as evidence of the majority whip and Washington’s influence in the high-stakes race.”

MinnPost: Anger in GOP ranks leads to contentious primary battles in Minnesota [MinnPost, 6.5.24]

Minnesota Reformer: Republican hopefuls sounding MAGA curious in the purple 2nd District [Minnesota Reformer, 1.19.24]

PATH TO VICTORY

With less than three months to fix his substantial base issues and win over independent voters he’s already pushed away with his extreme anti-abortion agenda, Joe Teirab couldn’t be entering the general election in a weaker position.

Moreover, Teirab does not have the funds to compete. Angie has more than $4 million cash on hand – nearly 8 times more than Teirab. Given his weak starting point and dire financial situation, he’ll have to make a tough choice: either try to hide his extensive anti-abortion record or lean in to secure his base. He cannot do both.

Meanwhile, Angie won the district by nearly six points the last time Senator Klobuchar was also on the ballot in 2018. Now facing an opponent who has made it his life mission to ban abortion, the contrast couldn’t be clearer. Minnesotans know Angie Craig is an independent voice who has always looked out for them, and they will overwhelmingly re-elect her in November.

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