Cravaack race seen as litmus test for Tea Party influence

Minnesota's Chip Cravaack and Wisconsin's Sean Duffy became symbols of Tea Party influence two years ago by winning Congressional seats in districts that Democrats had help for decades. As the Tea Party tries to solidify its place in Republican politics, many eyes are watching to see if those surprise winners of 2010 can hold onto their seats in Washington.

Author:: BMTN Staff
Updated:: Mar 8, 2018
Original:: Aug 5, 2012

Minnesota's Chip Cravaack and Wisconsin's Sean Duffy became symbols of Tea Party influence two years ago by winning Congressional seats in districts that Democrats had help for decades. As the Tea Party tries to solidify its place in Republican politics, many eyes are watching to see if those surprise winners of 2010 can hold onto their seats in Washington.

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After being swept into office on a tea party tide, Republican Rep. Chip Cravaack is now portraying himself as a middle-of-the-road lawmaker. He is trying to keep his job in a northeastern Minnesota district with a long tradition of electing Democrats.

Minnesota’s 8th District race between incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack and Democrat Rick Nolan is among the nation's closes House races. It's also among the most expensive – No. 6 on a list of races ranked by spending by outside groups. About $5.6 million has been dumped in the race as of Monday, the Duluth News Tribune reports.

In one of the nation's closest congressional races, Rep. Chip Cravaack, R-Minn., has released his third-quarter fundraising numbers ahead of next week's filing deadine: $471,000, the most he has netted in a single quarter. Money is pouring into the race from outside the state.

DFL challenger Rick Nolan, rekindling his congressional career 30 years after he last served in the U.S. House, has defeated one-term Rep. Chip Cravaack, R-Minn., in one of the most closely watched and expensive U.S. House races in the nation.

DFL challenger Rick Nolan in a Duluth debate Tuesday called first-term incumbent Rep. Chip Cravaack, R-Minn., a "big spender" on defense who has neglected domestic issues including transportation, the Star Tribune reports. Cravaack advocated lower taxes and fewer regulations to create jobs, and he said Nolan is symbolic of an "antiquated" style of big government.

There are now dueling get-to-know-you ads in the 8th District congressional race between Rep. Chip Cravaack, R-Minn., and DFL challenger Rick Nolan. In his newly released spot, Cravaack focuses on how he reached his goal of becoming a Naval aviator like his father – and how he is now a father who wants to help his children achieve their dreams.

At a Congressional hearing, Minnesota Republican Chip Cravaack told a Transportation Security Administration official that ground security around airport gates is "a joke." Cravaack, a former airline pilot, predicted the next terrorist attack in the U.S. will come from the shadow of an airplane.

DFL challenger Rick Nolan has moved ahead of freshman Republican Chip Cravaack 50 percent to 43 percent, according to a new Star Tribune poll of likely voters in the Eighth Congressional District. Previous polls showed the race was a tossup.

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