Who Won the Minnesota Senate Primary? Here's What Happened

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on August 11, 2026. She defeated U.S. Rep. Angie Craig in a race to replace Sen. Tina Smith, who is retiring, according to an Associated Press race call reported by NPR.

On the Republican side, former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya won the GOP primary, the AP also called. Flanagan and Tafoya will face each other in the November general election.

A primary election is when a political party picks its candidate for the general election. Five candidates ran in the Democratic primary, including Flanagan and Craig. Minor candidate George Kalberer received four votes, or 1.2%, according to AP vote data cited by NBC News. The AP is the source of the results reported by both NBC News and The New York Times (NYT).

Flanagan, 46, ran as a progressive, meaning she favors more left-leaning policies within the Democratic Party. She was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). During the campaign, she talked about using government food assistance, Medicaid and childcare services as a child, connecting her own life story to the policies she supports.

Craig had more campaign money and benefited from outside ad spending. She was endorsed by Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.). Even with those advantages, Flanagan won the nomination.

Flanagan said she was running for the Senate because the Trump administration's policies were making life harder for Minnesota residents, according to Ballotpedia. At a voter meeting in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, Flanagan said she was "incredibly clear that the Somali community is part of the fabric of the state of Minnesota," as KSTP-TV reported.

Minnesota's primary was held Tuesday, August 11, 2026. Voters could cast ballots by mail or in person from June 26 through August 10. The deadline to register in advance was July 21. Results were posted after polls closed at 8 p.m. local time, per the Minnesota Secretary of State's office.

These results are not yet official. The Minnesota State Canvassing Board, a panel that reviews and confirms election results, is scheduled to meet Tuesday, August 18, 2026, to certify the state and federal primary results. County-level results are also unofficial until county canvassing boards meet. If any recounts happen, the official results would be updated. Municipal and school district results are also unofficial.

Official results are published at electionresults.sos.mn.gov.

The primary drew national attention because the seat is open, meaning no current senator is running for re-election. Smith, a Democrat, announced her retirement. Minnesota has been competitive in recent elections but has not sent a Republican to the Senate since 2002. The Flanagan-Craig race came down to a common split within the Democratic Party: a progressive backed by the party's left wing beating a better-funded opponent supported by more moderate figures.

Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, has served as lieutenant governor since 2019. If elected in November, she would be the first Native American woman to serve in the U.S. Senate. Tafoya, her Republican opponent, is a former NBC Sports sideline reporter who became a political commentator after leaving broadcasting.

The broader context here is that the race tested whether endorsements from national progressive figures like Sanders and Warren could overcome a fundraising gap. The result suggests they can, at least in a state where grassroots organizing and activist networks carry weight. Craig's loss, despite her funding edge and backing from Buttigieg and Baldwin, shows the limits of institutional support when primary turnout is driven by the most active party voters.

Flanagan now needs to win over Democratic voters who supported Craig and the other primary candidates. Tafoya wants to make the race about the national political climate. Minnesota has not elected a Republican to statewide federal office in two decades, but recent presidential races have been close, and an open seat adds uncertainty that a race with a sitting officeholder does not.