Kaela Berg, a Minnesota state legislator and flight attendant with 30 years of experience, has announced her candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in Minnesota's second congressional district. Berg, a former union leader, is running on a pro-union platform and a commitment to protecting immigrants.
Berg currently serves as a state representative for Saint Paul while continuing to work as a flight attendant for Endeavor Air, a Delta subsidiary. She has served as vice-president of her union, the Endeavor Association of Flight Attendants, and as interim president and chair of her local union's government affairs committee. Berg says her union experience taught her to negotiate contracts and lobby for worker-friendly policies.
Berg cited the affordability crisis, the dismantling of the National Labor Relations Board, and attempts to strip collective bargaining rights from federal workers as reasons for entering the race. She noted that a recent Gallup poll found 55% of Americans say their financial situation is worsening, and she wants to address issues like universal healthcare, fighting corporate corruption, and halting Trump's tariffs.
Berg faces a competitive Democratic primary against state senator Matt Klein and former state senator Matt Little. The candidates are vying for 60% of delegates to secure the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor party endorsement on 9 May, with the primary set for 11 August. The district leans Democratic by three percentage points, according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index.
Berg is one of several union-backed candidates running for Congress in the 2026 midterms, as Democrats aim to capitalize on President Trump's low approval ratings. Other labor candidates include smokejumper Sam Forstag in Montana, ironworker Brian Poindexter in Ohio, organizer Clair Valdez in New York, and firefighter union president Bob Brooks in Pennsylvania.
