Kaela Berg works two jobs to stay afloat. By day, she represents Saint Paul in the Minnesota state legislature. When the legislative session ends, she trades the statehouse for the cockpit, working shifts as a flight attendant for Endeavor Air, a Delta subsidiary based in Minneapolis.
It is a grueling double life that has shaped her worldview and now propels her into a crowded Democratic primary for Minnesota's second congressional district. Berg is running to replace Democrat Angie Craig, who is pursuing a Senate seat instead.
"Even as a state legislator, I still live paycheck to paycheck," Berg said. "I have to have both of those jobs to make ends meet." She went without health insurance during the pandemic because neither job qualified her for coverage, a gap she said crystallized the stakes for working families.
Berg spent three decades as a flight attendant before entering the legislature in 2020. She rose to serve as vice president of the Endeavor Association of Flight Attendants and later as interim president, roles that taught her to negotiate contracts and navigate labor politics. That experience fuels her congressional pitch: she brings the voice of someone who has actually lived the struggles facing her constituents.
"There is no one better to fight for us than one of us, and working people have not been at the table," Berg said.
Her entry into the race reflects a broader labor movement push to reclaim political power. Union leaders are running House campaigns across the country in 2026, hoping to rebuild Democratic strength among blue-collar voters. The slate includes a smokejumper in Montana, an ironworker in Ohio, an organizer in New York, and a firefighter union president in Pennsylvania.
Berg's platform rests on three pillars: addressing the affordability crisis strangling working families, defending labor rights, and protecting immigrants from aggressive federal enforcement. She specifically named the dismantling of the National Labor Relations Board and attempts to strip collective bargaining agreements from hundreds of thousands of federal workers as threats demanding congressional action.
The affordability issue cuts across her district. A recent Gallop poll found 55% of Americans report their financial situation is worsening. Berg's constituents struggle to afford childcare, health insurance premiums, gas, and groceries. She proposes universal healthcare, aggressive action against corporate power, and reversing Trump administration tariffs that have driven up consumer costs.
Immigration enforcement has become a galvanizing local issue. In January, federal immigration officers conducted a major operation in Minnesota that resulted in the deaths of two unarmed civilians, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The operations sparked mass protests and ongoing federal law enforcement presence in the state.
Berg views the enforcement campaign as part of a broader political strategy to scapegoat immigrants. "We have had a violent occupation of ICE agents in our streets for months on end. They're still terrorizing our Somali community," she said. "We know the agenda from this administration is to demonize immigrants and our communities, because that's how they control people, and we're simply not going to stand for it."
The Democratic primary is competitive. Berg faces Minnesota state senator Matt Klein and former state senator Matt Little. The three candidates are vying for 60% of delegates to secure the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor party endorsement on May 9, with the primary election set for August 11. The district leans Democratic by three percentage points according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index.
Trump's approval rating has sunk to around 37%, according to NBC News polling, giving Democrats strategic opening to reclaim the House and potentially the Senate in 2026. Berg's candidacy fits that broader Democratic effort to capitalize on voter discontent.
Author James Rodriguez: "A flight attendant running for Congress while still working the skies isn't a sentimental story, it's a referendum on whether working people belong in power."
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