Who won the Minnesota Democratic Senate primary?

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan defeated Rep. Angie Craig and secured the Democratic nomination for Senate.

What was the vote margin?

Flanagan won 58.8% of the vote, while Craig received 39.7% when the race was called by the Associated Press.

Who will Flanagan face in November?

Flanagan will face former sportscaster Michele Tafoya in the general election.

Why does this primary matter nationally?

The race highlighted the struggle between progressive and centrist Democrats on issues like immigration, Israel and health care ahead of the midterms.

Peggy Flanagan Wins Minnesota Senate Primary

Peggy Flanagan won the Minnesota Democratic Senate primary, defeating Rep. Angie Craig in a race that exposed the party’s left-right divide.

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won the Minnesota Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday, defeating Rep. Angie Craig in a race that underscored the fight inside the party between its progressive wing and more centrist Democrats. The result gives Flanagan the nomination to replace outgoing Sen. Tina Smith and sets up a November general election battle in a state where Democrats have held a long run of Senate success. Minnesota GOP Primary: Demuth Beats Lindell

Flanagan received 58.8% of the Democratic vote, while Craig finished with 39.7%, when the Associated Press called the contest at 11:27 p.m. ET. Flanagan has served as Gov. Tim Walz’s lieutenant governor since 2019 and ran on a platform that leaned hard into the same priorities that helped Abdul El-Sayed win his Senate primary in Michigan. Her campaign pushed for “Medicare for all,” ending U.S. aid to Israel over what she described as the “genocide” in Gaza, and removing “Big Money” from politics. Peggy Flanagan Associated Press

She also vowed to “rip ICE apart” in response to President Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota. That crackdown led to the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal law enforcement officers, a development that stirred anger across the state. Flanagan’s campaign also drew attention for her decision last year to wear a hijab in a show of solidarity with Somalis while federal and congressional investigations examined fraud tied to the refugee community. ICE

Flanagan entered the race with strong support from some of the party’s most prominent left-leaning figures. Her endorsers included Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and outgoing Sen. Tina Smith. Those alliances reinforced the sense that her campaign was part of a broader push by the left to reshape the party’s message heading into the midterms. Bernie Sanders

Craig, by contrast, was seen as the more pragmatic option. The three-term congresswoman represents Minnesota’s 2nd District, which backed President Trump in 2016 before swinging to Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024. Her backers included House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Tammy Baldwin and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who is often discussed as a possible 2028 presidential contender.

The two Democrats also split sharply on major policy questions. Craig rejected the idea that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza should be called a “genocide,” and she voted against a measure to cut more than $3 billion in U.S. aid to Israel. On health care, she has backed “Medicare for All who want it,” not a full federal takeover of the insurance system. Flanagan, meanwhile, attacked Craig over her vote for the Laken Riley Act, a Trump-backed crackdown on migrant criminals, though Craig has said she regrets that vote. Cooke Wins Wisconsin Primary, Sets Van Orden Rematch

Craig also sought to turn the race toward state-level management, blaming Flanagan for weak oversight and accountability in Minnesota welfare programs that were robbed by fraudsters. The contest now moves to the fall, where Flanagan will face former sportscaster Michele Tafoya. Republicans have not won a Senate race in Minnesota since 2002, but the primary result still matters because it shows how sharply Democrats are divided over immigration, Israel, health care and the party’s direction heading into the midterm cycle. For American voters, the race is another sign that the battle for the future of the Democratic Party is already underway. Larson Loses Ground in Connecticut Primary Fight

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