Peggy Flanagan Defeats Angie Craig In Minnesota Democratic Senate Primary

Democratic Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won the Minnesota Senate primary to replace retiring Democrat Sen. Tina Smith.

Flanagan led Democratic Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig 59% to 39.4% with 99% of the vote reporting as of early Wednesday morning, according to The Associated Press and NBC News.

Craig was the primary high-profile moderate and establishment-backed challenger to Flanagan in a race largely framed as a contest between a moderate and a far-left candidate. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Minnesota Fraud Scandal Could Put State’s Open Senate Seat In Play During Midterms, Thune Says)

Flanagan, who holds the official DFL endorsement, received support from figures including independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Tina Smith, and Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar. Craig drew backing from Democratic establishment figures, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

The race centered on issues like immigration, fraud, oversight of state programs, campaign financing and Israel-Gaza policy. Craig faced scrutiny over her past vote for the Laken Riley Act, while Flanagan emphasized her opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies. (RELATED: One Year After Laken Riley Act, One Democrat Doesn’t Want To Talk About Her ‘Yes’ Vote)

Flanagan entered the race in February 2025 after Smith announced she would not seek reelection. She secured the DFL endorsement ahead of the Aug. 11 primary, emerging as the leading progressive alternative to Craig.

The Minnesota lieutenant governor has promoted progressive policies in the state on issues including transgender ideology and abortion.

In one BlueSky post, Flanagan wrote, “What he said!” in response to Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who posted, “As the forces of hatred are on the march, my promise is this: Our trans neighbors will continue to be safe, protected, and welcome in Minnesota.”

Flanagan’s support for transgender issues has also drawn scrutiny following the 2025 shooting at Minneapolis’ Annunciation Catholic School, where the suspect, who had identified as transgender, killed two children and wounded others.

Two years before the shooting, Flanagan appeared publicly wearing a shirt emblazoned with a knife and the words, “Protect trans children.”

In the final days of the primary, Flanagan also drew attention for remarks praising Somali migrants during a visit to a Somali market. (RELATED: Minnesota’s Lt Gov Takes Pandering To Somalis To The Next Level)

Minnesota continues to face scrutiny over widespread fraud in publicly funded programs, including alleged misuse of taxpayer dollars involving programs serving the state’s Somali community.

In February 2023, just hours after being assaulted in her Washington, D.C., apartment, Craig and 31 Democrat colleagues voted in favor of a resolution to block the D.C. Council’s Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022, which would have lowered penalties for a number of violent offenses.