All eyes on Minnesota’s 1st and 2nd House districts

Quick Read

Minnesota races for two U.S. House seats are drawing attention as Democrats vie for control of Congress and Republicans mount a defense of their majority.

Two congressional seats in Minnesota’s southern section carried more weight than the rest Tuesday, as most U.S. House incumbents looked likely to punch a ticket back to Washington.

There will be one new delegation member no matter what because the current representative didn’t seek a new term. That’s in the 2nd Congressional District, which runs from the suburbs south of the Twin Cities toward farm-heavy towns.

One incumbent, Republican Rep. Brad Finstad, faced a stiff challenge from political newcomer and DFL nominee Jake Johnson, a teacher. They’re running in the 1st Congressional District that stretches across the Minnesota-Iowa border from Wisconsin to South Dakota on either end.

That competition attracted a swell of outside money l...