Overview:
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (White Earth Ojibwe) won Tuesday’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary, defeating U.S. Rep. Angie Craig. Flanagan will face former sportscaster Michele Tafoya in November in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Tina Smith. If elected, Flanagan would become Minnesota’s first Native American U.S. senator, marking a historic milestone for Native representation in Congress. Her primary victory also comes after millions of dollars in outside spending targeted the race.
Native Vote 2026
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (White Earth Ojibwe) won the Minnesota Democratic U.S. Senate primary Tuesday, defeating U.S. Rep. Angie Craig. Flanagan will face former sportscaster Michele Tafoya in November as she seeks to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Tina Smith.
With 79% of the vote counted, Flanagan led Craig 58.8% to 39.7%. The margin was enough for the Associated Press to call the race for Flanagan.
Minnesota voters turned out in unusually high numbers for Tuesday’s primary, with more than 206,000 early and absentee ballots cast before Election Day — a record for a Minnesota midterm primary. The heightened voter participation was largely driven by the competitive Democratic Senate race.
If elected in November, Flanagan would make history as Minnesota’s first Native American U.S. senator and one of the few Native women ever elected to the U.S. Senate.
Flanagan’s victory over Craig is particularly significant given the scale of outside spending in the race. Outside groups spent millions of dollars supporting Craig and opposing Flanagan, with roughly $17 million in reported spending benefiting Craig’s campaign or attacking her Native opponent. The spending included a major effort by groups aligned with Craig, while cryptocurrency interests also poured millions of dollars into the race.
Flanagan is Minnesota’s 50th lieutenant governor and one of the most prominent Native women in American politics. She has served as lieutenant governor since 2019, after previously serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Flanagan made history when she was sworn in as lieutenant governor, becoming the highest-ranking Native woman ever elected to executive office in the United States at the time.
She has been a leading advocate for Native communities, tribal-state relations, and policies addressing the needs of children and families. As a state legislator, she supported efforts addressing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, and as lieutenant governor, she helped establish Minnesota’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office.
