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D Democratic-Farmer-Labor · U.S. Senate, Minnesota · Nov 3, 2026

Peggy
Flanagan

Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan is the 2026 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, seeking the seat vacated by retiring Sen. Tina Smith.

Researched checked 7 d ago
sources
26
positions
12
endorsements
16
peggyflanagan.com ↗(opens in a new tab) X(opens in a new tab)
Opponents Marisa Simonetti I+ 2 more Compare race →

Background

Peggy Flanagan is a Minnesota Democrat serving as the state's lieutenant governor since 2019, a position she has held alongside Governor Tim Walz. A native of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, she earned a bachelor's degree in American Indian studies and child psychology from the University of Minnesota in 2002. (1, 2, 3)

Before her statewide role, Flanagan served on the Minneapolis Board of Education (2005–2009) and in the Minnesota House of Representatives (2015–2018). Her professional background includes nearly a decade at Wellstone Action, service as executive director of Children's Defense Fund–Minnesota, and work as a partner at The Management Center. (1, 2)

In 2026, Flanagan became the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Tina Smith. She is not an incumbent in that race; her current office remains lieutenant governor. (5, 6)

Her campaign focuses on issues including healthcare affordability and getting big money out of politics, and she has received notable endorsements heading into the November 3, 2026 general election. (9, 15, 18)

At a glance

Party
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Running for
U.S. Senate, Minnesota
Election
Nov 3, 2026
Current office
Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
Website
peggyflanagan.com(opens in a new tab)

Where they stand

Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.

Timeline

  1. Oct 16
    debate
    Flanagan and Tafoya scheduled to appear on MPR's Politics Friday debate

    As of October 11, Flanagan and Tafoya were scheduled to appear on MPR's Politics Friday on October 16. The debate had not yet taken place.

    MN statewide races: Who's debating and when? - Yahoo · Sep 30, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  2. Oct 7
    endorsement
    Hillary Clinton endorses Flanagan — her first congressional endorsement of the 2026 cycle

    Hillary Clinton endorsed Peggy Flanagan for U.S. Senate. The DFL described it as Clinton's first congressional endorsement of the 2026 cycle; the party also noted Flanagan held endorsements from both Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

    Hillary Clinton Makes First 2026 Midterm Endorsement - Yahoo · Oct 7, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  3. Oct 5
    news
    Flanagan tours Minnesota, presses Tafoya on Iran war and farm costs

    At a campaign event, Flanagan challenged Tafoya to break with President Trump over the war in Iran and raised fuel costs and economic pressure on farmers, calling Tafoya 'a MAGA Republican who is lockstep with Donald Trump on literally everything.'

    Senate GOP leader joins Tafoya on farm as Flanagan ... - MPR News · Oct 5, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  4. Oct 1
    endorsement
    League of Conservation Voters Action Fund endorses Flanagan for U.S. Senate

    The LCV Action Fund announced its endorsement of Peggy Flanagan in the Minnesota U.S. Senate race.

    LCV Action Fund Endorses Peggy Flanagan for U.S. Senate · Oct 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  5. Oct 1
    news
    Flanagan and Tafoya make final pitches as Senate race tightens

    MinnPost reported on both candidates' closing campaign messaging, noting that MinnPost found no evidence Flanagan knew of state-program fraud as it occurred, while Tafoya continued to press the issue.

    As Senate race tightens, Flanagan and Tafoya make their final pitches · Oct 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  6. Sep 30
    poll
    InsiderAdvantage poll shows Flanagan leading Tafoya 46% to 45%

    An InsiderAdvantage poll of 1,200 likely voters (fielded Sept. 28–29) found Flanagan at 46% and Tafoya at 45%, a result within the stated margin of error of approximately ±2.95 points.

    Peggy Flanagan up 1 point in Minnesota Senate poll over Michele Tafoya · Sep 30, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  7. Sep 23
    controversy
    Tafoya campaign makes state-program fraud central attack against Flanagan

    Tafoya's campaign argued Flanagan bore responsibility as lieutenant governor in the Walz administration for fraud in state-administered programs. MinnPost found no evidence Flanagan knew of fraud as it occurred; Flanagan rejected responsibility for fraud enforcement and pointed to administration reforms.

    Minnesota Senate Race Tightens as Welfare Fraud Becomes ... · Sep 23, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  8. Sep 23
    controversy
    Flanagan fundraiser scrutinized over host's ties to Medicaid fraud controversy

    Fox News reported criticism of a planned Flanagan fundraiser co-hosted by Nathan Chomilo, a former state Medicaid medical director, amid questions about the state's response to alleged fraud. The report did not establish that Chomilo or Flanagan participated in fraud.

    MN Dem Sen candidate in hot seat over upcoming event hosted by man enveloped in fraud scandal: 'Red flags' · Sep 23, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  9. Sep 22
    debate
    Flanagan agrees to two October debates; details still unsettled

    The Star Tribune reported Flanagan had agreed to two October debates — one hosted by Minnesota Public Radio and one in Duluth by KBJR/FOX 9 — but the campaigns had not finalized all details.

    Minnesota candidates say they want to debate. They can't agree on where or when · Sep 22, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  10. Sep 17
    poll
    KSTP/SurveyUSA poll shows Flanagan and Tafoya tied at 42%

    A KSTP/SurveyUSA poll of 654 likely voters (fielded Sept. 9–14) showed Flanagan and Tafoya each at 42%, with 12% undecided and a margin of error of ±4.4 percentage points.

    New KSTP/SurveyUSA Polls Shows Close Minnesota ... · Sep 18, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  11. Aug 11
    filing
    Flanagan wins DFL nomination for U.S. Senate, defeating Rep. Angie Craig

    Flanagan won the DFL primary with 59.01% of the vote, defeating U.S. Rep. Angie Craig. Tafoya won the Republican nomination with 52.07%. Both advanced to the November 3 general election.

    Minnesota Senate Race Tightens as Welfare Fraud Becomes ... · Sep 23, 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Endorsements

  • U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders official
    Listed as endorser on Flanagan's campaign page; no endorsement date stated. peggyflanagan.com
  • U.S. Sen. Ed Markey official
    Listed as endorser on Flanagan's campaign page; no endorsement date stated. peggyflanagan.com
  • Rep. Ilhan Omar official
    Listed as endorser on Flanagan's campaign page; no endorsement date stated. peggyflanagan.com
  • End Citizens United organization
    Listed an endorsement of Flanagan; announcement date could not be established from accessible sources. endcitizensunited.org
  • Indivisible organization
    Named among grassroots organizations backing Flanagan in the DFL's May 30, 2026 announcement; no separate endorsement date given. dfl.org
  • U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen official
    Listed as endorser on Flanagan's campaign page; no endorsement date stated. peggyflanagan.com
  • U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren official
    Listed as endorser on Flanagan's campaign page; no endorsement date stated. peggyflanagan.com
  • Hillary Clinton official
    Former U.S. Secretary of State. Clinton said: 'I know she'll be that same champion in the Senate, and I'm proud to endorse her.' thehill.com · Oct 7, 2026
  • MoveOn organization
    MoveOn candidate page endorses Flanagan; page published October 1, 2026. front.moveon.org · Oct 1, 2026
  • Education Minnesota union
    Announced endorsement on September 25, 2026. The recommendation was also accepted by the political action committees of the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association. educationminnesota.org · Sep 25, 2026
  • American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) union
    Largest federal employee union announced endorsement on September 18, 2026. afge.org · Sep 18, 2026
  • Minnesota AFL-CIO union
    Endorsed Flanagan on August 25, 2026 according to its endorsement announcement. mnaflcio.org · Aug 25, 2026
  • Bend the Arc: Jewish Action organization
    Announced endorsement on July 16, 2026. bendthearc.us · Jul 16, 2026
  • Christopher Street Project organization
    LGBTQ+ group endorsed Flanagan in the Democratic primary, as reported by The Advocate on July 10, 2026. advocate.com · Jul 10, 2026
  • Minnesota DFL official
    Party delegates endorsed Flanagan at the state convention. The announcement also names U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, Attorney General Keith Ellison, State Auditor Julie Blaha, and former Sen. Al Franken among her supporters. dfl.org · May 30, 2026
  • SEIU Minnesota State Council union
    Endorsed Flanagan for the 2026 U.S. Senate race; endorsement page published April 3, 2026. seiumn.org · Apr 3, 2026

Campaign finance

Totals filed with the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 election cycle.

Raised
$6.52M
Spent
$5.46M
Cash on hand
$1.06M

As of Jul 22, 2026. Filings are periodic, so recent money may not be included yet. ↳ FEC record S6MN00440(opens in a new tab)

Sources 26

  1. [1] Hillary Clinton backs Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota Senate race(opens in a new tab) Oct 7, 2026
  2. [2] Hillary Clinton Makes First 2026 Midterm Endorsement - Yahoo(opens in a new tab) Oct 7, 2026
  3. [3] Senate GOP leader joins Tafoya on farm as Flanagan ... - MPR News(opens in a new tab) Oct 5, 2026
  4. [4] As Senate race tightens, Flanagan and Tafoya make their final pitches(opens in a new tab) Oct 1, 2026
  5. [5] LCV Action Fund Endorses Peggy Flanagan for U.S. Senate(opens in a new tab) Oct 1, 2026
  6. [6] Peggy Flanagan : MoveOn: People-Powered Progress(opens in a new tab) Oct 1, 2026
  7. [7] MN statewide races: Who's debating and when? - Yahoo(opens in a new tab) Sep 30, 2026
  8. [8] Peggy Flanagan up 1 point in Minnesota Senate poll over Michele Tafoya(opens in a new tab) Sep 30, 2026
  9. [9] Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan makes campaign stop in St. Cloud(opens in a new tab) Sep 28, 2026
  10. [10] Education Minnesota endorses Flanagan for U.S. Senate(opens in a new tab) Sep 25, 2026
  11. [11] Minnesota AFL-CIO Endorses Peggy Flanagan for US ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 23, 2026
  12. [12] Minnesota Senate Race Tightens as Welfare Fraud Becomes ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 23, 2026
  13. [13] MN Dem Sen candidate in hot seat over upcoming event hosted by man enveloped in fraud scandal: 'Red flags'(opens in a new tab) Sep 23, 2026
  14. [14] Minnesota candidates say they want to debate. They can't agree on where or when(opens in a new tab) Sep 22, 2026
  15. [15] Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Minnesota's Peggy ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 18, 2026
  16. [16] New KSTP/SurveyUSA Polls Shows Close Minnesota ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 18, 2026
  17. [17] Reproductive Freedom for All Endorses Peggy Flanagan to ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 14, 2026
  18. [18] Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan says 'we have to rip ICE apart' - FOX 9(opens in a new tab) Aug 13, 2026
  19. [19] Progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan wins Minnesota Democratic ...(opens in a new tab) Aug 12, 2026
  20. [20] Who is running for Senate in Minnesota's DFL primary? - MPR News(opens in a new tab) Aug 7, 2026
  21. [21] Bend the Arc Endorses Peggy Flanagan for U.S. Senate(opens in a new tab) Jul 16, 2026
  22. [22] LGBTQ+ group backs Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan for Senate over lesbian Rep. Angie Craig(opens in a new tab) Jul 10, 2026
  23. [23] DFL Endorses Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan for U.S. Senate(opens in a new tab) May 30, 2026
  24. [24] SEIU 2026 Endorsements — SEIU Minnesota State Council(opens in a new tab) Apr 3, 2026
  25. [25] End Citizens United Endorses 19 No Corporate PAC ...(opens in a new tab) Feb 4, 2026
  26. [26] Endorsements - Peggy Flanagan for Minnesota(opens in a new tab) Nov 19, 2025
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