 Mary Lawrence, a doctor, also ran as a Democrat but dropped out before the primary.Commentators wrote that the election was "likely to be one of the most-watched congressional races in the country," ("MinnPost"), "expected to be one of the most competitive in the country", according to "Roll Call" newspaper, and "seen as a prime target for Democrats to flip" according to "The Atlantic".Area left-wing weekly "City Pages" described the campaign as resembling the 2016 presidential campaign, calling Lewis "an entrepreneur and media personality, whose blunt rhetoric is refreshingly honest to some, simply offensive to others", and describing Craig as "a tough female leader with moderate positions, ties to big business, and a penchant for pantsuits".