Over the past few weeks, comments from several candidates running in the Republican field in Minnesota's Second Congressional District have been in the news. The views that have surfaced are an embarrassment to Minnesota and inflammatory, to say the least. Unfortunately, this kind of rhetoric has become far too common in the Trump era of the Republican Party.

Electing the next member of Congress from the Second District isn't going to be about shocking sound bites. Families want to know who is most qualified to go to Washington and deliver on behalf of Minnesotans. The leading candidate in the Republican field, Jason Lewis, seems to have kicked off a debate among his opponents about whether his comments about women, hurricane victims and slavery were bad or really bad ("Why I won't stand for drive-by allegations," Feb. 24). We can all agree that his comments were sexist, ignorant and insulting.

However, allowing students to graduate with a mountain of college debt is also insulting. Letting seniors pay more for their medicine is insulting. So is eliminating health care for thousands of men and women across Minnesota. These ideas have come from the entire Republican field, not just the current loudest one of the pack. That isn't leadership, and it isn't what Minnesotans need or want from their next member of Congress.

Our families deserve candidates who are focused on our competing visions for the direction of this country, and they want a member of Congress who can get things done. As the daughter and wife of teachers and the mother of four sons, I know what is at stake in this next election. I want to represent this district because strengthening public education, making college more affordable and growing the economy with meaningful, good-paying American jobs are policies worth fighting for. Congress is clearly broken, and we need to kick-start it ­— not by hurling insults at voters who disagree with us, but by searching for common ground.

I spent the last decade as an executive at a Minnesota-based Fortune 500 company. I was able to spearhead women's leadership initiatives, work with my colleagues to invest in local programs to get more young girls interested in science and technology, and grow and create jobs while working to increase the number of veterans at the company. I didn't do any of it alone. I did it with the help and hard work of people I trust and people who respected the work we were doing together. You can't just insult the intelligence of anyone who disagrees with you and then turn around and expect them to help you get something done.

Everywhere I go throughout the district, voters tell me they want to elect someone who will grow the economy and create jobs, fight to protect and strengthen Medicare and Social Security, and work with anyone who has a good idea about how to do those things. Minnesotans know they need to send someone to Washington who can reach across the aisle, or even outside of Washington, to build support and get results.

There likely will be a number of times between now and November when I will disagree with the Republicans in this race. But I would hope one thing we can agree on is that whoever is our next representative has a big job ahead. And we can't even begin to get Congress working again if we send a representative to Washington whose goal is to add to the ideological gridlock.

Congress already has enough members who will say anything for attention, while ignoring the needs of real people back home. What we need are more members willing to roll up their sleeves and get to work with well-intentioned people from both sides of the aisle on behalf of all Minnesota families.

Angie Craig is a former executive at St. Jude Medical and the Democratic candidate for Congress in Minnesota's Second Congressional District.