Radical Progressive Peggy Flanagan Wins Minnesota Democratic Senate Primary
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Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, backed by far-left figures and radical policies, defeated moderate Rep. Angie Craig in the Democratic primary for Minnesota’s U.S. Senate seat, setting up a November contest with Republican Michele Tafoya.
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a progressive activist with a record of supporting extreme left-wing policies, secured the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota by defeating moderate Rep. Angie Craig, according to NBC News projections. The race to replace retiring Sen. Tina Smith saw Flanagan receive endorsements from far-left senators like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, signaling the Democratic Party’s continued shift away from the mainstream. If elected in November, Flanagan would become the first Native American woman in the Senate, a fact heavily emphasized by her supporters.
"This entire campaign has been about the many versus the money," Flanagan told NBC News’ Meet the Press Now, downplaying the millions spent by outside progressive groups to boost her campaign. While Craig’s campaign and allies spent nearly $20 million on advertising, Flanagan’s side still managed to raise and spend $4.7 million, much of it from national progressive donors.
Flanagan’s platform includes expanding government-run health care and reducing the influence of private donors, with her support for the costly and controversial Medicare for All. She also called for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a radical position that undermines law enforcement, though she claims to support border security measures.
Craig, a four-term House member, defended her moderate record and argued she was the stronger candidate for the general election. She expressed regret for a previous vote on the Laken Riley Act, a commonsense immigration detention measure signed into law by President Donald Trump, showing her willingness to bend to the left-wing base.
The primary exposed deep divisions within the Democratic Party over immigration and social-services fraud. Flanagan claimed the governor’s administration was leading efforts to combat fraud, while Craig accused her of echoing Republican talking points, highlighting the party’s internal chaos.
Democratic Governor Tim Walz stayed neutral, but his wife publicly supported Craig, showing fractures in the party establishment. After the primary, Flanagan called for party unity to keep the seat from a Trump-aligned Republican. Craig said she would support Flanagan in the general election, prioritizing party over principle.
On the Republican side, former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya won the GOP primary, earning support from national Republican leaders despite not receiving the state party’s formal endorsement, and is now positioned to challenge the Democrats’ radical agenda in November.