Peggy Flanagan Wins Minnesota Senate Race Over Michele Tafoya, a First for Native American Women

Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won Minnesota’s open U.S. Senate seat on Tuesday, Nov. 3, defeating Republican Michele Tafoya, a former NFL sideline reporter. The Associated Press projected Flanagan the winner, Axios reported, and NBC News made the same projection. The result keeps a seat Democrats have held for nearly a quarter-century in the party’s column.

Flanagan, an enrolled member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, will be the first Native American woman elected to the U.S. Senate, according to NBC News.

Did Peggy Flanagan win?

Yes. As of 1:35 a.m. ET on Wednesday, NBC News’ results page (using AP data) showed:

About 93.7% of the expected vote had been counted at that point, and the totals will change as the rest comes in. NBC’s analysis showed the race had shifted about 7 points toward Democrats compared with the 2024 presidential vote in Minnesota.

Flanagan will succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Tina Smith when the new Congress convenes in January and will serve a six-year term, Axios reported.

Why the race was competitive

Minnesota has leaned Democratic in recent elections, but Republicans saw an opening. NBC News reported that Kamala Harris carried the state by only 4 points in 2024, and GOP strategists targeted the seat after fraud scandals that shook the state.

NBC described one case in which people are alleged to have stolen $250 million from a Covid-era program meant to feed children. The Justice Department also charged more than a dozen people this year with defrauding Medicaid and other programs of more than $90 million.

Flanagan faced criticism over those scandals because she served alongside Democratic Gov. Tim Walz. She told The Minnesota Star Tribune that any fraud was “completely unacceptable” and that “more should have been done sooner,” and said Walz “is the one who took the lead on fraud,” NBC reported.

Axios said pre-election polls showed a close contest, with Flanagan narrowly ahead in several October surveys.

Immigration and the national mood

Axios reported that voter anger over President Donald Trump’s policies, including his administration’s immigration crackdown, helped carry Flanagan to victory. NBC News noted that federal immigration operations in Minneapolis drew widespread condemnation after enforcement agents shot and killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti early this year.

In the final weeks, both candidates distanced themselves from big names in their own parties, Axios said. Tafoya broke with Trump on tariffs, the Iran war and other issues, and Flanagan put space between herself and Walz.

Who is Peggy Flanagan?

• Current role: Two-term lieutenant governor of Minnesota.
• Platform: She campaigned on affordability and health care. She backs “Medicare for All,” a $17 minimum wage and national paid family and medical leave, and supports dismantling ICE, according to Axios and NBC.
• Primary: She beat a more moderate opponent for the nomination this summer, which NBC called a win for the party’s progressive wing.
• Priorities: She has said she wants to continue Minnesota’s long run of members on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, Axios reported.

Who is Michele Tafoya?

Tafoya is a former NFL sideline reporter and a first-time candidate who ran as a political outsider. She backed deporting immigrants convicted of fraud and called for new mandatory minimum sentences for fraud crimes, NBC News reported.

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