The closely watched primary race served as another test of whether progressives could continue to dominate the 2026 midterms across battleground states

NEED TO KNOW

• Minnesota has chosen its Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate after one of the most closely watched primaries of the midterm season
• Progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan will advance to the November ballot in an effort to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Tina Smith
• The other Minnesota Senate seat, belonging to the state’s senior senator, Amy Klobuchar, may also soon become vacant if she succeeds in her own bid for governor

Minnesota’s Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate has been decided.

Progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan prevailed on Tuesday, Aug. 11, in Minnesota’s hard-fought Democratic primary for the state’s open Senate seat, defeating her more moderate opponent, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, in a close race.

If successful in the general election come November — in which she’ll run against the Republican nominee, former sports broadcaster Michelle Tafoya — she’ll replace Democratic Sen. Tina Smith in January 2027.

Presently the lieutenant governor to Gov. Tim Walz, Flanagan was considered the more progressive of the two candidates, earning endorsements from Sens. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Smith. A citizen of the White Earth Nation, she made history at the time of her lieutenant governor election as the highest-ranking Native American to hold public office; she is also the first and only woman of color elected to state office in Minnesota.

Craig, currently a U.S. representative for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District, ran on a more moderate platform. Joining Congress in 2019 as the nation’s first openly lesbian mother to serve on Capitol Hill, she has previously been a journalist and businesswoman. Like Flanagan, Craig said she was “ready to take on the Trump administration’s policies that are hurting working folks.”

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According to recent polls, Democrats have the advantage in the general election. Heading into Tuesday, Flanagan was leading the top Republican candidate by 6%, while Craig was leading by 7%, per a poll from Emerson College.

Smith, 68, has held her Senate seat since 2018. On Feb. 13, 2025, she penned an op-ed for The Minnesota Star Tribune announcing her decision to not seek another term come the 2026 election, explaining that after a long public service career, she wanted to dedicate her time to her loved ones.

“Politicians are human beings. As much as I love my work, I’m fortunate enough to be able to say that my work is only part of what makes up my life,” Smith wrote. “And after two decades of hard, rewarding work in public service, I’m ready to prioritize other things — starting with my family.”

Minnesota’s other Senate seat, belonging to Amy Klobuchar, may also become vacant later this year if polls translate to actual votes, as she is currently favored to secure the Minnesota governorship. Should she prevail in November, current Gov. Walz (who is not running for reelection) may appoint a temporary successor to the Senate until a special election determines a permanent replacement to finish her term, up in 2031.

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