Democratic US Senate candidate, Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, speaks during a primary election night party on August 11, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
'Minnesota Is Not for Sale': Peggy Flanagan Wins Senate Primary, Defeating Millions in Dark Money
"For months now, I have been telling you that this campaign was about the many vs. the money," said Minnesota's lieutenant governor. "The many just won."
Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota's lieutenant governor, won her state's Democratic primary for the US Senate on Tuesday by an overwhelming margin, defeating US Rep. Angie Craig and outside groups that spent tens of millions of dollars trying to influence the race.
"For months now, I have been telling you that this campaign was about the many vs. the money," Flanagan said in her victory speech. "Well, guess what? The many just won."
Flanagan's platform includes Medicare for All, expanding Social Security, and dismantling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after federal agents unleashed by the Trump administration killed two people in Minnesota earlier this year. Flanagan was endorsed by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), whose seat the Minnesota lieutenant governor is running to fill.
Outside organizations poured more than $20 million into the race to support Craig, a centrist Democrat and crypto industry champion. A large chunk of Craig's financial support in the US Senate primary came from North Star Dawn PAC, a shadowy organization funded by the Civic Progress Fund Inc., a group that does not disclose its donors.
"This happened because of you," Flanagan said of her primary win. "This happened because you said Minnesota is not for sale."
Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United, celebrated Flanagan's victory in a statement late Tuesday, saying the results "once again reinforced what we’ve seen all across the country this election cycle: Voters want candidates to reject corporate PAC money and not be beholden to special interests."
“Lt. Gov. Flanagan ran on independence, accountability, and putting working families first—and beat nearly $20 million in outside spending against her," said Muller. "She understands that a government captured by special interests can’t deliver for everyday people. Her campaign demonstrated the power of standing firmly on principle, building trust with voters, and putting people at the center of every decision, and Minnesotans rewarded that vision."
I'm running for U.S. Senate to:
Get Big Money out of our politics.
End prior authorization.
Pass Medicare for All.
Rip ICE apart.
Raise the wage.
Deliver universal childcare.
Secure the right to repair.
Block the bombs.
Save Social Security.
Deliver for the people of Minnesota.
— Peggy Flanagan (@peggyflanagan) August 11, 2026
Flanagan will face sports reporter Michele Tafoya in November. Richard Carlbom, chair of Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, mocked Republicans' choice of "Michele ‘take one less trip to Starbucks’ Tafoya as their candidate for the US Senate," referring to the GOP candidate's call for Americans to "just try to be patriots" and endure economic pain from President Donald Trump's Iran war with "a stiff upper lip."
"Tafoya is out of touch with the people of Minnesota and has aligned herself with Donald Trump on everything from abortion bans to tariffs," said Carlbom. "Michele Tafoya’s agenda consists only of saying yes to Donald Trump and yes to higher costs for working people. Minnesotans will reject her in November."
Flanagan's win in the key battleground state came as democratic socialist Francesca Hong suffered an upset loss in neighboring Wisconsin's Democratic gubernatorial primary, falling narrowly to establishment favorite David Crowley in a contest that drew national attention.
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Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota's lieutenant governor, won her state's Democratic primary for the US Senate on Tuesday by an overwhelming margin, defeating US Rep. Angie Craig and outside groups that spent tens of millions of dollars trying to influence the race.
"For months now, I have been telling you that this campaign was about the many vs. the money," Flanagan said in her victory speech. "Well, guess what? The many just won."
Flanagan's platform includes Medicare for All, expanding Social Security, and dismantling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after federal agents unleashed by the Trump administration killed two people in Minnesota earlier this year. Flanagan was endorsed by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), whose seat the Minnesota lieutenant governor is running to fill.
Outside organizations poured more than $20 million into the race to support Craig, a centrist Democrat and crypto industry champion. A large chunk of Craig's financial support in the US Senate primary came from North Star Dawn PAC, a shadowy organization funded by the Civic Progress Fund Inc., a group that does not disclose its donors.
"This happened because of you," Flanagan said of her primary win. "This happened because you said Minnesota is not for sale."
Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United, celebrated Flanagan's victory in a statement late Tuesday, saying the results "once again reinforced what we’ve seen all across the country this election cycle: Voters want candidates to reject corporate PAC money and not be beholden to special interests."
“Lt. Gov. Flanagan ran on independence, accountability, and putting working families first—and beat nearly $20 million in outside spending against her," said Muller. "She understands that a government captured by special interests can’t deliver for everyday people. Her campaign demonstrated the power of standing firmly on principle, building trust with voters, and putting people at the center of every decision, and Minnesotans rewarded that vision."
I'm running for U.S. Senate to:
Get Big Money out of our politics.
End prior authorization.
Pass Medicare for All.
Rip ICE apart.
Raise the wage.
Deliver universal childcare.
Secure the right to repair.
Block the bombs.
Save Social Security.
Deliver for the people of Minnesota.
— Peggy Flanagan (@peggyflanagan) August 11, 2026
Flanagan will face sports reporter Michele Tafoya in November. Richard Carlbom, chair of Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, mocked Republicans' choice of "Michele ‘take one less trip to Starbucks’ Tafoya as their candidate for the US Senate," referring to the GOP candidate's call for Americans to "just try to be patriots" and endure economic pain from President Donald Trump's Iran war with "a stiff upper lip."
"Tafoya is out of touch with the people of Minnesota and has aligned herself with Donald Trump on everything from abortion bans to tariffs," said Carlbom. "Michele Tafoya’s agenda consists only of saying yes to Donald Trump and yes to higher costs for working people. Minnesotans will reject her in November."
Flanagan's win in the key battleground state came as democratic socialist Francesca Hong suffered an upset loss in neighboring Wisconsin's Democratic gubernatorial primary, falling narrowly to establishment favorite David Crowley in a contest that drew national attention.
Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota's lieutenant governor, won her state's Democratic primary for the US Senate on Tuesday by an overwhelming margin, defeating US Rep. Angie Craig and outside groups that spent tens of millions of dollars trying to influence the race.
"For months now, I have been telling you that this campaign was about the many vs. the money," Flanagan said in her victory speech. "Well, guess what? The many just won."
Flanagan's platform includes Medicare for All, expanding Social Security, and dismantling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after federal agents unleashed by the Trump administration killed two people in Minnesota earlier this year. Flanagan was endorsed by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), whose seat the Minnesota lieutenant governor is running to fill.
Outside organizations poured more than $20 million into the race to support Craig, a centrist Democrat and crypto industry champion. A large chunk of Craig's financial support in the US Senate primary came from North Star Dawn PAC, a shadowy organization funded by the Civic Progress Fund Inc., a group that does not disclose its donors.
"This happened because of you," Flanagan said of her primary win. "This happened because you said Minnesota is not for sale."
Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United, celebrated Flanagan's victory in a statement late Tuesday, saying the results "once again reinforced what we’ve seen all across the country this election cycle: Voters want candidates to reject corporate PAC money and not be beholden to special interests."
“Lt. Gov. Flanagan ran on independence, accountability, and putting working families first—and beat nearly $20 million in outside spending against her," said Muller. "She understands that a government captured by special interests can’t deliver for everyday people. Her campaign demonstrated the power of standing firmly on principle, building trust with voters, and putting people at the center of every decision, and Minnesotans rewarded that vision."
I'm running for U.S. Senate to:
Get Big Money out of our politics.
End prior authorization.
Pass Medicare for All.
Rip ICE apart.
Raise the wage.
Deliver universal childcare.
Secure the right to repair.
Block the bombs.
Save Social Security.
Deliver for the people of Minnesota.
— Peggy Flanagan (@peggyflanagan) August 11, 2026
Flanagan will face sports reporter Michele Tafoya in November. Richard Carlbom, chair of Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, mocked Republicans' choice of "Michele ‘take one less trip to Starbucks’ Tafoya as their candidate for the US Senate," referring to the GOP candidate's call for Americans to "just try to be patriots" and endure economic pain from President Donald Trump's Iran war with "a stiff upper lip."
"Tafoya is out of touch with the people of Minnesota and has aligned herself with Donald Trump on everything from abortion bans to tariffs," said Carlbom. "Michele Tafoya’s agenda consists only of saying yes to Donald Trump and yes to higher costs for working people. Minnesotans will reject her in November."
Flanagan's win in the key battleground state came as democratic socialist Francesca Hong suffered an upset loss in neighboring Wisconsin's Democratic gubernatorial primary, falling narrowly to establishment favorite David Crowley in a contest that drew national attention.