Progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan wins Minnesota Democratic Senate primary

BREAKING NEWSAug. 12, 2026, 3:25 AM UTC2026 Election2026 ElectionProgressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan wins Minnesota Democratic Senate primaryFlanagan defeated Rep. Angie Craig, NBC News projects, in yet another nominating contest that exposed Democratic ideological divides. Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan will be the Democratic nominee in this fall's Senate race. Stephen Maturen / Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Bridget BowmanLt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan has won the Democratic primary for Senate in Minnesota, NBC News projects, notching another major victory for her party’s progressive wing. Flanagan defeated moderate Rep. Angie Craig in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Tina Smith, who had endorsed Flanagan along with progressive leaders including Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. The lieutenant governor would be the first Native American woman in the Senate if she is elected in November.“This entire campaign has been about the many versus the money,” Flanagan told NBC News’ “Meet the Press Now” on the eve of the primary. Craig and her allies combined to spend nearly $20 million on the airwaves, while Flanagan and her allies spent $4.7 million, according to AdImpact. “I’m running to make sure that people can afford the lives they want to live,” Flanagan said. “I want to get big money out of our politics, and I want to fight for things like Medicare for all so that people aren’t just paying for health insurance, but actually have access to health care.”Flanagan criticized the four-term congresswoman for not standing up enough to President Donald Trump’s administration, which Craig disputed. Craig, who represented a competitive House seat in the Twin Cities metro, had argued that she was the best candidate to win in November. Immigration became a major dividing line in the race after federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis earl...