{"id":6393,"date":"2026-08-12T06:10:25","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T06:10:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=6393"},"modified":"2026-08-12T06:10:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T06:10:25","slug":"walz-lt-gov-peggy-flanagan-wins-minnesota-democratic-senate-primary-in-latest-battle-between-leftists-and-centrist-candidates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=6393","title":{"rendered":"Walz Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan wins Minnesota Democratic Senate primary in latest battle between leftists and centrist candidates\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan defeated Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) Tuesday in the Minnesota Democratic Senate primary \u2013 the latest test of whether the electorate is moving further to the left or toward the center ahead of the critical midterm elections.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more Former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya scores victory in Minnesota GOP Senate primary<\/a><\/p>\n

Flanagan had 58.8% of the Democratic primary vote compared to Craig\u2019s 39.7% when the Associated Press called the race at 11:27 pm. ET.<\/p>\n

Flanagan, who has served as embattled Gov. Tim Walz\u2019s No. 2 since 2019, campaigned on\u00a0many of the same progressive priorities that propelled Abdul El-Sayed to victory in his Senate primary in Michigan, including \u201cMedicare for all,\u201d ending US aid to Israel over the \u201cgenocide\u201d in Gaza and getting \u201cBig Money out of our politics.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

She has also vowed to \u201crip ICE apart\u201d in response to President Trump\u2019s immigration crackdown in Minnesota, which resulted in the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal law enforcement officers, sparking outrage in the state.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The lieutenant governor, who famously donned a hijab last year to express solidarity with Somalis amid federal and congressional investigations into widespread fraud by the refugee community, counted endorsements from socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren, \u201cSquad\u201d Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and outgoing Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Craig (D-Minn.) was viewed as the more pragmatic and centrist candidate in the race to replace Smith.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The three-term congresswoman\u2019s district\u00a0 \u2013 Minnesota\u2019s 2nd \u2013 went for President Trump in the 2016 election before swinging back in favor of Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more Primary elections 2026 live updates:\u00a0Sen. Amy Klobuchar wins Democratic nomination for governor in Minnesota<\/a><\/p>\n

Craig was endorsed by numerous establishment Dems, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and former Transportation Secretary and potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She was also backed by Walz\u2019s wife, Gwen. <\/p>\n

The governor did not endorse a candidate in the race.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In contrast to Flanagan, Craig has rejected calling the Israel military\u2019s efforts to root out Hamas terrorists in Gaza a \u201cgenocide.\u201d She also voted against a measure seeking to cut more than $3 billion in US aid to Israel.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On healthcare, Craig has proposed\u00a0\u201cMedicare for All who want it,\u201d rejecting a complete federal takeover of the health insurance system.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The congresswoman was attacked by Flanagan on the campaign trail over her vote in favor of the Laken Riley Act, a Trump-backed bill cracking down on migrant criminals, which Craig has indicated she regrets voting for.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Craig blamed Flanagan for a lack of oversight and accountability of state welfare programs that were pilfered by fraudsters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Flanagan will face former sportscaster Michele Tafoya in the November general election.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more Sen. John Kennedy mocks socialists with snappy new nickname \u2014 as he torches Kamala Harris<\/a><\/p>\n

A Republican hasn\u2019t won a Senate election in Minnesota since 2002.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan defeated Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) Tuesday in the Minnesota Democratic Senate primary \u2013 the latest test of whether the electorate is moving further to the left or toward the center ahead of the critical midterm elections.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6392,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nWalz Lt. Gov. 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