Minnesota's 2nd congressional district covers the south Twin Cities metro area and contains all of Scott, Dakota, and Le Sueur counties. It also contains part of northern and eastern Rice County including the city of Northfield, as well as southern Washington County including the city of Cottage Grove. Lakeville and Eagan are the largest cities in the district. Historically, for many decades in the mid 20th century the 2nd congressional district covered the southwest corner of the state, while the 1st congressional district covered most of this part of the state.
Three of Minnesota's most important rivers run through the district, the Mississippi River, the Minnesota River, and the St. Croix River. Interstate highways I-35 E and I-35 W merge in the district in addition to the northâÂÂsouth thoroughfares of U.S. Routes 169, 61, and 52 and the eastâÂÂwest Route 212. The suburban areas in the northern part of the district blend into the rural farmland in the south. The district's economy includes agriculture, small businesses, and large corporations.
Some of the largest employers in the district are Thomson Reuters, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, 3M, Cambria, and Red Wing Shoes. The district includes Pine Bend Refinery, the largest oil refinery in Minnesota, owned by Koch Industries.
The 2nd district is also home to two private liberal arts colleges: St. Olaf and Carleton, both in Northfield. Shakopee is home to Minnesota's largest amusement park, Valleyfair, as well as Canterbury Park.
Minnesota's 2nd congressional district is currently represented by Democrat Angie Craig, who defeated incumbent Republican Jason Lewis in the 2018 election. The district is considered to be highly competitive. Between 2000 and 2020, the district was a presidential bellwether, voting for the winner each time. This trend was broken in 2024, when the district favored Kamala Harris over winner Donald Trump.
For most of its existence the district was based in the southwest corner of the state, however following the reapportionment that occurred due to the 2000 United States census, the old 2nd district was broken up with the largest portion being transferred to the redrawn 7th. The new 2nd was based in the southern metro area and comprised approximately 41% from the old 6th, 22% from the old 2nd, 22% from the old 1st, 14% from the old 3rd and 1% from the old 4th.
For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties, townships, and municipalities:
Dakota County (34)
Le Sueur County (27)
Rice County (12)
Scott County (18)