MINNEAPOLIS — Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan secured the Democratic nomination for Senate in Minnesota, handing the party's progressive wing a clear victory over its moderate flank. Flanagan defeated four-term Rep. Angie Craig in the race to replace retiring Sen. Tina Smith.
Flanagan framed her campaign as a contest between grassroots support and financial power. Craig and her allies spent nearly $20 million on airwaves, while Flanagan and her allies spent $4.7 million, according to AdImpact.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. endorsed Flanagan. Retiring Sen. Tina Smith also backed Flanagan, signaling a shift within the state party establishment.
Flanagan advocated for Medicare for All and called for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She said during a Minnesota Public Radio debate that ICE "has to be ripped apart" but also affirmed support for secure borders.
Craig, who represented a competitive House district in the Twin Cities metro area, argued she was the stronger general-election candidate. She faced criticism from Flanagan for not sufficiently challenging President Donald Trump's administration.
Immigration became a central issue in the primary following the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by federal agents in Minneapolis during the Trump administration's immigration enforcement surge.
Craig voted for the Laken Riley Act, an immigration detention measure Trump signed into law in January 2025. Craig later said she regretted that vote, a position Flanagan highlighted during the campaign.
Flanagan faced scrutiny from Craig over Minnesota's handling of fraud in social services programs. Craig suggested Republicans would use the issue against Flanagan in the fall, calling Flanagan's response a repetition of "Republican talking points."
Flanagan said the governor had taken the lead on the fraud issue and that the administration had been aggressive in working to stop it.
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who is not seeking re-election, remained neutral in the primary. His wife, Gwen Walz, publicly supported Craig — a notable break, given that Flanagan is the governor's lieutenant.
Flanagan now faces the challenge of uniting the party after a divisive primary as she turns to the November general election, where she would become the first Native American woman elected to the Senate.
