Matt Little, a Democratic-Farmer-Labor attorney, former Lakeville mayor and former Minnesota state senator, is his party's nominee for the open seat in Minnesota's 2nd congressional district in 2026 against Republican Eric Pratt.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
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- Born
- November 24, 1984
- Birthplace
- Lakeville, Minnesota
- Education
- Rosemount High School (2003)
University of Minnesota Morris (bachelor's degree in political science, 2007)
University of Minnesota Law School (Juris Doctor, 2014)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Matt Little was born on November 24, 1984, and raised in Lakeville, Minnesota. He graduated from Rosemount High School in 2003 and earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Minnesota Morris in 2007.
He then spent two years as a regional field coordinator for the National Association of Letter Carriers in Washington, D.C., and a year teaching English in Chile before entering the University of Minnesota Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor magna cum laude in 2014.
His wife is a naturalized citizen who has lived in the United States since age 10.
Career
Matt Little was elected to the Lakeville City Council in 2010, and in 2012, at age 27, he became the youngest person elected mayor of Lakeville, serving until 2016. That year he narrowly won a seat in the Minnesota Senate from District 58, defeating Republican Tim Pitcher by 387 votes.
In the Senate he worked on insulin costs, drafting proposals that included a price cap and convening bipartisan negotiations over an emergency assistance program, and the Legislature passed the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act in 2020.
He also drew national attention that year for his use of TikTok.
Little lost his 2020 re-election bid to Republican Zach Duckworth, and in 2022 he lost the race for Dakota County Attorney to Kathy Keena, 48.06% to 51.52%. He practices as an attorney at his Lakeville firm, Little Law, which focuses on medical malpractice and personal injury law.
2026 race
Matt Little announced his candidacy for Minnesota's 2nd congressional district on April 30, 2025, after DFL incumbent Angie Craig chose to run for the U.S. Senate; Craig later lost the August 11, 2026, Senate primary to Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan.
The district covers the southern Twin Cities suburbs, including Burnsville, Eagan and Lakeville.
Little won the DFL endorsement on May 9 with 63% of delegate votes and then took the August 11 primary with 47.2% of the vote, ahead of state senator Matt Klein at 30.4% and state representative Kaela Berg at 16.7%.
In the general election on November 3, 2026, he faces Republican Eric Pratt, a state senator from the 54th district since 2013.