Republican candidate for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District Tyler Kistner ended his campaign this week, citing his military service obligations as the main reason for withdrawing from the race.

Kistner, who is a veteran and reservist in the U.S. Marines, ran in the district in 2020 and 2022 against Democratic incumbent Angie Craig.

He launched his 2026 campaign as Craig announced she’d leave her House seat to run for U.S. Senate. On Wednesday, he said he suspended his campaign after learning that he had been activated from the Marine Corps Reserve to deploy to the Middle East.

“Recently, it’s become clear that my service to this great country is needed more in other areas. My work at the Pentagon has demanded more of my time over the last six months than I initially anticipated,” Kistner said in a statement on his decision. “It has never been in me to let someone else’s son or daughter take my place when I am fully capable of going myself.”

With Kistner’s exit, the only remaining Republican candidate in the race is Sen. Eric Pratt, a four-term state lawmaker from Prior Lake. The GOP endorsement convention for the 2nd District is on May 2.

Three Democrats are vying for their party’s nomination in the 2nd District, which is usually the state’s most competitive congressional race.

“I want to thank Tyler for his service to our country and for the commitment he has shown to this district. Military service reflects a willingness to put others before self, and that kind of leadership deserves respect,” Pratt said in a statement.

While only one Republican remains in the race, Kistner doesn’t plan to back Pratt.

“We will not be endorsing Eric Pratt due to his history of bashing President Trump and extremely weak record in the Legislature,” said Billy Grant, strategist for the Kistner campaign.

State Rep. Kaela Berg, DFL Burnsville, state Sen. Matt Klein, DFL-Mendota, and former state senator and Lakeville Mayor Matt Little are seeking the Democratic endorsement. The primary election is on Aug. 11.

The race for Craig’s seat likely will be the state’s most competitive and expensive, with the 2022 and 2024 races seeing tens of millions in spending by candidates and outside groups. The 2nd District includes the south metro suburbs and rural areas extending to the Wisconsin border in the east, and southwest to around St. Peter and Mankato.

Spending was high as ever in the 2024 election, but Republicans have seen less success in what was once considered to be a key swing district. The Cook Political Report, a national election analysis group, has described the district as leaning Democratic when it had been more of a toss-up in the past.

Craig was first elected in 2018, ousting one-term GOP incumbent Jason Lewis, whom she had lost to in a close race in 2016. She nearly lost to Kistner in 2020, but has performed strongly ever since. She soundly defeated Republican Joe Teirab with nearly 56% of the vote to Teirab’s 42% in 2024.

Cook had rated the 2nd District as solidly Democratic until Craig announced she’d run for Senate, a decision it said gave a “glimmer of hope to Republicans, who had written her off as unbeatable.”

Fundraising levels also offer an early look into levels of support for candidates, and the March report from the Federal Elections Commission shows Democrats have a significant advantage.

Kistner had raised more money than Pratt as of the first quarter of 2026, taking in nearly $416,000 since launching last year, compared to Pratt’s roughly $259,000. But two Democratic candidates running in the 2nd District have raised more than both Pratt and Kistner combined.

Klein and Little have each raised more than $700,000 with the primary and general election months ahead. Berg raised around $245,000.

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