MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan’s victory in the Democratic primary for an open U.S. Senate seat has underscored the strength of opposition to U.S. immigration enforcement among the state’s Democratic voters, as she defeated moderate U.S. Representative Angie Craig in a closely watched contest over the party’s direction.
Flanagan, a progressive Democrat who has called for dismantling Immigration and Customs Enforcement, won the nomination on Tuesday to succeed retiring Democratic Senator Tina Smith. She will face Republican nominee Michele Tafoya in the November general election.
Immigration enforcement became a central issue in the primary after the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota. Flanagan repeatedly criticized ICE operations and attacked Craig over her 2025 vote for the Laken Riley Act, a Republican-backed law expanding detention requirements for certain undocumented immigrants accused of crimes. Craig later said she regretted that vote.
The primary result came despite substantial financial support for Craig. The Associated Press reported before the election that Flanagan had secured backing from progressive senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, while Craig argued that Democrats needed significant resources to compete with Republicans in November.
Flanagan’s campaign also framed the contest as a choice between grassroots politics and large outside expenditures. According to AdImpact figures cited by NBC News, Craig and allied groups spent nearly $20 million on advertising, compared with about $4.7 million by Flanagan and her allies.
Polling during the campaign showed immigration enforcement was a significant issue among Democratic primary voters. A Public Policy Polling survey conducted in April found 93% of likely Democratic primary voters held an unfavorable view of ICE, while 44% supported Flanagan and 33% supported Craig at that stage.
The result does not establish that opposition to ICE alone determined the primary, however. Flanagan also campaigned on Medicare for All, campaign-finance restrictions and opposition to corporate influence in politics, while Craig emphasized her record of winning competitive congressional races and argued that Democrats needed candidates capable of appealing to voters beyond the party’s base.
Flanagan now advances to the November election, where she will seek to hold the Minnesota Senate seat for Democrats. Tafoya won the Republican nomination in Tuesday’s primary.
