Flanagan wins Minnesota Senate primary, defeating establishment favorite

Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan secured the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, defeating centrist Representative Angie Craig in a race that highlighted the party's progressive shift.

Flanagan's victory speech in Minneapolis framed the contest as a battle between grassroots support and corporate influence. "For months now, I have been telling you that this campaign was about the many versus the money," she told cheering supporters. "Well, guess what? The many just won."

The primary was heavily shaped by the fatal shooting of two individuals by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. The incident, captured on video, intensified scrutiny of immigration enforcement and became a central issue in the campaign. Flanagan repeatedly criticized Craig's vote for a Trump-backed immigration bill, which Craig later disavowed.

Flanagan called for dismantling ICE, stating, "We need to rip ICE apart and stop them from terrorizing our communities." She also pledged to address the immigration system, secure the border, and create a pathway to citizenship.

A member of the White Earth Nation, Flanagan would become the first Native American woman elected to the U.S. Senate. She received support from prominent progressives including Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

Flanagan will face Republican nominee Michele Tafoya, a former NFL sideline reporter, in the general election. Minnesota has not elected a Republican to statewide office since 2006.