Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, captured the state’s Senate seat by defeating Republican Michele Tafoya, blocking GOP hopes of flipping a seat that was already in Democratic hands.
Minnesota’s multibillion-dollar daycare fraud scandal and the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown became central to the race, with Flanagan turning ICE’s Operation Metro Surge into a campaign rallying point.
Tafoya had tried to tie Flanagan to the fraud case after eight years in state government, while Flanagan pushed responsibility onto Gov. Tim Walz, saying he held oversight.
The result strengthens Democrats numerically in the Senate but also elevates another progressive who has criticized Chuck Schumer and called for a leadership shake-up.