Education Minnesota endorses Little, Swanson for Congress
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CHRIS WILLIAMS
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ST. PAUL, Minnesota. Sept. 25, 2026 — Education Minnesota has endorsed Matt Little in Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District and Trina Swanson in the 8th Congressional District. Little faces Republican state Sen. Eric Pratt in the Nov. 3 general election for the open seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Angie Craig. Swanson faces incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber.
Educators from both districts interviewed the candidates during the endorsement process. The recommendations were accepted or approved by the political action committees of the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association.
Matt Little, 2nd Congressional District
“Matt Little says he’s running for every underdog chasing the American Dream, and Minnesota’s educators want to be part of that fight,” said Monica Byron, president of Education Minnesota. “Public schools need a champion in Congress, and that’s Matt Little.”
Little supports collective bargaining rights and the Protecting the Right to Organize Act. He opposes private school vouchers and supports full funding for Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, as well as the Pay Teachers Act’s minimum salary standards. Little is a former Minnesota state senator and former mayor of Lakeville, where at 27 he became the youngest mayor in the city’s history. He is a graduate of Rosemount High School and works as a personal injury attorney.
Trina Swanson, 8th Congressional District
Swanson supports collective bargaining rights and opposes private school vouchers. She said she would fight to protect and expand Medicaid eligibility, particularly for low-income people, people with disabilities and those with chronic illness.
Swanson spent nearly 20 years at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, including leading international operations, and has said she left the agency after being asked to carry out directives she believed were unethical. She is a graduate of Minnesota public schools and describes herself as the daughter of a union household and a former union member.
“Trina Swanson walked away from a career in Washington rather than compromise her values, and that’s exactly the integrity Minnesota needs in Congress,” said Byron. “Educators trust Trina Swanson to put students and public schools first.”
About Education Minnesota
Education Minnesota is the voice for professional educators and students. Education Minnesota’s members include teachers and education support professionals in Minnesota’s public school districts, faculty members at Minnesota’s community and technical colleges and University of Minnesota campuses in Duluth and Crookston, retired educators and student teachers. Education Minnesota is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AFL-CIO.
