Thailand refugee May Lor Xiong will take on longtime Dem incumbent after securing GOP primary victory

May Lor Xiong secured the GOP nomination for Minnesota’s 4th Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating rival Gene Rechtzigel to move on to face incumbent Democrat Rep. Betty McCollum in November’s general election.

The race was a rematch for the two Republicans, who faced off in the 2022 primary along with Jerry Silver.

In their 2022 race, Xiong captured the victory with 44% of the vote, while Silver collected 34% and Rechtzigel 22%, according to Ballotpedia.

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Xiong, a refugee from Thailand and former teacher, ran on a platform of tackling inflation and fixing reckless spending in D.C. while also attacking McCullom as a career politician out of touch with the district.

Rechtzigel, a self-described farmer and property manager, focused his campaign on ousting McCollum, blasting the incumbent Democrat for her handling of reported water safety issues for many district residents.

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McCollum has represented Minnesota’s 4th Congressional District since 2001 and defeated Xiong in the 2022 election by more than 35 percentage points.

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The district, which covers St. Paul and much of the city’s northern suburbs, has also long been a safe haven for Democrats, having gone overwhelmingly to the party’s presidential nominees in every election since 2000.

Meanwhile, the Cook Political Report classifies the 4th Congressional District as "solid" Democrat.