The 2nd Congressional District might be Minnesota’s only competitive U.S. House race in 2024 because it is considered so evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.

Incumbent Democratic Rep. Angie Craig has fended off opponents since first winning her congressional seat in 2018. However, all those wins have come by low- to middle-single-digit margins. In 2020 and 2022 she beat Tyler Kistner, a former U.S. Marine. She’ll take on another former Marine this year in Joe Teirab.

“I just think — given what’s happened now with the Biden-Harris agenda and Angie Craig rubber stamping it — I just think we’re losing the American dream, and I just want to lend my talents and help get us back on track,” Teirab said in an interview recorded for “At Issue with Tom Hauser.”

While Teirab wants to focus on the economy, Craig’s campaign is focusing on the abortion issue. Her campaign has sent out several email blasts accusing Teirab of having extreme views on abortion.

“From his days on the leadership team of Cornell Coalition for Life to the board of New Life Family Services here in Minnesota, Joe Teirab has fought hard — and fought often — to get rid of abortion nationwide,” she said this week.

“This is a personal, emotional issue for everyone,” Teirab said on “At Issue” while explaining his opposition to abortion. “When my mom was pregnant with me she actually got plugged into this pregnancy resource center that encouraged her, loved her, supported her, and I’m only here to this day because of that,” he said. Teirab now serves on the board of that organization, New Life Family Services.

He also denies he is seeking a federal ban on abortion.

“Personally, I am pro-life,” Teirab said. “I believe in the exceptions of rape, incest and life of the mother, but in my view this is not a federal issue. This is a state issue, and so I’m against any federal ban or federal restrictions on abortion.”

Teirab has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump and says he supports Trump because of his stance on economic issues.

“If you talk to most Americans and Minnesotans, for sure life was better under President Trump in terms of the economy and prices. In terms of us actually having a secure border. In terms of actually making sure we have public safety,” he said.

A graduate of Harvard Law School, Teirab is a former federal prosecutor who worked on the Feeding Our Future fraud case. He’s also U.S. Marine veteran who served in Iraq but did not see combat action.

“I did not serve in combat,” he says. “I was proud to serve over in Iraq where our mission was to defeat and destroy ISIS. My job as a lawyer was to give the up or down guidance to commanders who were ultimately responsible for dropping those bombs on ISIS targets. So I was proud of that service.”

You can see the entire interview with Teirab at 10 a.m. Sunday on “At Issue.” Congresswoman Angie Craig will be a guest on a future show.