Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won the state’s Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday, defeating centrist Rep. Angie Craig. Endorsed by progressives like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Flanagan ran against outside spending, positioning herself to succeed retiring Sen. Tina Smith in the November midterms.
Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan secured the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate on Tuesday, defeating four-term Representative Angie Craig in a fiercely contested primary battle that tested the ideological direction of the party heading into the midterms. The race to succeed retiring Democratic Senator Tina Smith drew national attention and millions of dollars in external spending.
Flanagan’s victory adds to a growing streak of primary wins for progressive candidates nationwide, following a similar victory last week in Michigan where Abdul El-Sayed won the Senate nomination. Running on an unapologetically left-leaning platform, Flanagan focused her campaign on economic equity and systemic change.
The Fight Over Campaign Finance and the Progressive Message
Throughout the campaign, Flanagan leaned heavily into her signature rallying cry of the many over the money
while swearing off corporate political action committee donations. Her campaign messaging centered on sweeping policy reforms, including expanding Medicare to cover everyone, raising the minimum wage to $17, securing affordable housing, restoring abortion access, and tackling political corruption.
That populist message ran headfirst into a massive financial disadvantage. Craig and her allies combined to spend nearly $20 million on the airwaves, compared to $4.7 million spent by Flanagan and her supporters, according to AdImpact data cited in campaign coverage. Craig also maintained a strong fundraising lead, bringing in $12.7 million as of July 22 compared to Flanagan’s $6.5 million.
Beyond candidate fundraising, the race was flooded with outside money. More than $25 million total was poured into the contest with significant backing from pro-crypto and pro-Israel PACs operating to support Craig or counter Flanagan. Despite that financial avalanche, Flanagan’s grassroots strategy carried the day.
Immigration and Controversy in a Polarized Race
The policy and political landscape of the primary shifted dramatically in late 2024 and early 2025 following the Trump administration’s federal immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota. The heavy presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents became a defining and deeply contentious wedge issue across the state after federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis.
Flanagan seized on the friction, relentlessly criticizing Craig for voting for the Laken Riley Act in January 2025—a measure that expanded detention powers for immigration authorities—and for supporting a GOP resolution that included a line thanking ICE. The pressure proved potent; Craig later expressed regret for her vote on the Laken Riley Act in a March op-ed.
On the stump, Flanagan pushed her immigration stance to the left of her opponent, telling a Minnesota Public Radio debate audience that ICE has to be ripped apart,
while clarifying that she still supports secure borders and enforcement.
Craig, meanwhile, attempted to pivot the attacks back onto state government administration, pressing Flanagan on oversight issues regarding fraud within state social services programs. Flanagan dismissed the line of attack as repeating Republican talking points, pointing out that Governor Tim Walz took the administrative lead on cracking down internally against fraud.
Uniting the Party for the General Election
With the primary decided, both Democrats immediately moved to project party unity to prevent handing a crucial seat to Republicans in November. On the Republican side, former sports broadcaster and NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya won the GOP Senate primary, securing backing from national figures like Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina.
Republicans view the seat as a prime pickup opportunity after Donald Trump narrowed the margin in Minnesota during the 2024 presidential election, losing the state by 4 percentage points while securing 47% of the vote—the strongest showing for a Republican candidate in two decades. However, a statewide Republican victory has not occurred in Minnesota since 2006.
Acknowledging the stakes of the general election, Craig pledged her full support to her former primary rival during post-debate remarks.
Flanagan echoed that sentiment in her own interview, emphasizing that the party cannot afford to give Donald Trump another seat in the United States Senate.
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