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Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan holds a Minnesota Senate seat for Democrats
NBC News • • general
Key Points:
- Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won the Minnesota Senate race against Republican Michele Tafoya, maintaining the seat for the Democrats and becoming the first Native American woman elected to the Senate.
- Flanagan, a progressive who supports Medicare for All and dismantling ICE, defeated a more moderate Democrat in the primary, marking a win for the party's progressive wing.
- The race was closely watched amid recent fraud scandals in Minnesota involving millions stolen from Covid-related and social service programs, which Republicans tried to link to immigration issues.
- Tafoya, a political outsider and former sports broadcaster, campaigned on stricter immigration enforcement and harsher penalties for fraud crimes but was unsuccessful.
- The Senate seat was open following Democrat Tina Smith's decision not to seek re-election, with Republicans aiming to make Minnesota competitive despite recent Democratic advantages in statewide races.
