Angie Craig takes significant fundraising edge over Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota Senate primary race

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0200

Democratic U.S. Representative Angie Craig has built a substantial fundraising advantage over her rival, Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, in the competitive Democratic‑ Farmer‑Labor (DFL) primary for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Tina Smith. Craig raised about $2.5 million in the first quarter of 2026, far outpacing Flanagan’s fundraising totals for the same period and giving her a larger cash‑on‑hand cushion heading toward the primary. The race has become a focal point of the broader intraparty divide between progressive and moderate wings of the Democratic Party, with Flanagan backed by Smith and several prominent progressive senators, while Craig draws support from more centrist figures and former leaders such as Nancy Pelosi and Pete Buttigieg. The candidates are sharply divided on issues like immigration enforcement, with Flanagan criticizing Craig’s support for the Laken Riley Act as undermining immigrant due process, and Craig accusing Flana