# Matt Klein *Minnesota state senator and 2026 candidate for Minnesota's 2nd congressional district (DFL)* Matthew David Klein (born September 29, 1967) is a [[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]] (DFL) politician who sits in the [[Minnesota Senate]] for District 53, in the southeastern Twin Cities metropolitan area.[^1] He is a physician and practices internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.[^2] Klein won his Senate seat in 2016. He chairs the Commerce and Consumer Protection committee and also sits on the Taxes and Energy committees.[^3] In 2024 he introduced a bill to legalize and expand sports gambling in Minnesota, and the bill did not pass.[^4] In May 2025 Klein entered the race for the Democratic nomination in [[Minnesota]]'s 2nd congressional district, seeking the seat that [[Angie Craig]] is leaving.[^4] In April 2026 he apologized for a $50 prediction-market bet on himself to win the primary. The platform, Kalshi, fined him and barred him for five years. Matt Little won the DFL endorsement over him with 63% of the vote.[^4] ## Early life, education, and career Klein grew up in Saint Paul and finished at Highland Park High School in 1985.[^2] He earned a Bachelor of Science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and then a Doctor of Medicine degree at Mayo Medical School.[^2] In 2012 he won election to the West St. Paul–Mendota Heights–Eagan School Board.[^2] He works as an internal-medicine physician at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.[^2] ## Minnesota Senate Klein's first election to the Minnesota Senate came in 2016.[^3] Governor [[Mark Dayton]] collapsed as his 2017 State of the State address was ending, and Klein was among those who went to help him.[^3] Klein chairs the Commerce and Consumer Protection committee and also serves on the Taxes and Energy committees.[^3] ## 2026 U.S. House campaign On May 6, 2025, Klein announced that he was running for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House seat in Minnesota's 2nd congressional district.[^4] The incumbent, Craig, is retiring from the House to run for the U.S. Senate.[^4] In April 2026 Klein apologized for placing a $50 wager on a political prediction market that he would win the primary in his own race.[^4] Kalshi, the platform, found that the bet broke its rules. It fined Klein and two other politicians and banned each of them for five years.[^4] Two years earlier, in 2024, Klein had sponsored legislation to legalize and expand sports gambling in Minnesota. The bill was not enacted.[^4] Klein and Matt Little competed for the Minnesota DFL's endorsement. Little won the endorsement with 63% of the vote.[^4] ## Personal life Klein lives in Mendota Heights with his wife, Kristine. The couple has five children.[^5] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Matt Klein* (revision 1373900393, retrieved 2026-10-26), lead — birth date, party, and Senate District 53. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Klein [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *Matt Klein* (revision 1373900393, retrieved 2026-10-26), section "Early life, education, and career" — upbringing, schooling, medical degree, 2012 school board election, and Mayo Clinic practice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Klein [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *Matt Klein* (revision 1373900393, retrieved 2026-10-26), section "Minnesota Senate" — 2016 election, the 2017 State of the State incident, and committee assignments. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Klein [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *Matt Klein* (revision 1373900393, retrieved 2026-10-26), section "2026 U.S. House campaign" — May 6, 2025 announcement, April 2026 Kalshi wager and sanctions, the 2024 sports-gambling bill, and the DFL endorsement result. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Klein [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *Matt Klein* (revision 1373900393, retrieved 2026-10-26), section "Personal life" — spouse, children, and residence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Klein