What Should Be the Story? Big Money Lost. Again.

Native Vote 2026

Minnesota has spoken: Peggy Flanagan earned more votes — 411,000 plus — than all of the Republicans combined in their Senate primary. As I wrote, after the Democrat-Farmers-Labor convention, she owns the inside track to the United States Senate.

A few other thoughts about Tuesday night’s primary. The media loves a theme, a story it can tell about the national implications from an election. For months it’s been a rejection of Trumpism. Then, the rise of the socialists. Last night it was, how the left was stopped.

To read more articles by Mark Trahant, go to: Marktrahant.substack.com

The Wall Street Journal is a good example of what many reporters and TV pundits said:

Headine: “Left-Wing Surge Stalls in Wisconsin as Francesca Hong Narrowly Loses

“Democratic socialist led in recent polls, but Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley beat back a progressive groundswell”

“Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly won the Democratic nomination for governor in this battleground state, upsetting Democratic socialist Francesca Hong and delivering a significant blow to the party’s insurgent far-left flank.

“Hong, who led in polls ahead of Tuesday’s primary, had the backing of many progressives and the socialist left. But she lacked support from some of the movement’s top national names.

“Boosted by a late endorsement from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, Crowley was declared the winner by the Associated Press. With 98% of the expected vote tallied, he led Hong, 39.8% to 39.4%, the AP reported.

“The unexpectedly close race is the latest evidence that an intraparty fight among Democrats is far from over. Last week, Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in a divisive and costly Democratic Senate primary in Michigan that saw progressives claim one of their biggest victories to date.

“But the tight margins in Wisconsin and Michigan indicate that while the far left appeared to be surging, many voters still believe a more centrist approach is Democrats’ best hope to win competitive general elections.

“There are a lot of people who are scared,” Crowley told The Wall Street Journal the day before the primary. “She is a self-proclaimed socialist. There are a lot of people worried about not just this party, but this country moving in that direction.”

It’s funny. A day ago those same writers were linking Peggy Flanagan to that socialist wave. But her win was so convincing that, well, that narrative no longer works.

It’s sometimes boring to say but David Crowley ran a good, come from behind campaign. Hong made some mistakes late, enough to convince enough voters not this time. None of that says anything about the policy choices that the two candidates promoted. It was retail politics. Local issues. Oh, so boring, if you want a narrative frame.

What should be the national story, the bird’s eye view of that primary night? The failure of big money. As I wrote a couple of weeks ago:

Most people who read my newsletter think of Peggy Flanagan’s campaign for the Senate in historic terms. She is a citizen of the White Earth Nation and there has never been a Native American woman elected to that chamber ever. It’s long past time for that to happen in a representative democracy.

But others see Flanagan as a threat and are willing to spend a lot of money to make sure she doesn’t make that history.

It’s not uncommon for U.S. Senate races to cost millions of dollars. But in Minnesota, spending records are being shattered in a primary election, already topping $12 million. The most expensive Minnesota primary ever. And most of that money is trying to make sure that Peggy Flanagan does not win the DFL Primary next month.

The cool thing is the reasons are ideological.

If you want an ideological story, a narrative to remember for August 11th, this is it. Big Money lost: Angie Craig outspent Flanagan four-to-one. The crypto and the prediction market investors, as well as the allies of AIPAC will have to rethink their strategies across the country because what they’ve been doing is not working.

Here is what was published today in the Times of Israel:

JTA — Minnesota Lieutenant Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a progressive who says she would reject AIPAC’s money and accuses Israel of committing genocide, trounced Rep. Angie Craig in the state’s Democratic primary for US Senate on Tuesday.

A pro-Israel candidate in the seat Craig is vacating also went down to Matt Little, a more progressive Israel-critical candidate.

Flanagan beat out Craig 60%-40% with 96 percent of votes counted. She is expected to win the general election in November.

Of course the problem with obscene spending in politics is bigger than just one election night. As the Brennan Center points out:

“The campaign finance system is broken. Super PACs and shadowy nonprofits give enormous sway to the super-wealthy and big corporations. The Brennan Center is working to build a better system, pushing for public financing that matches small donations with public money, and regulations to eliminate illegal foreign spending. And we are waging a long-term fight to overturn misguided Supreme Court rulings that weaken crucial protections.”

That’s it. And election reform is right up there with judicial reform.