Washington — Democrat Peggy Flanagan defeated Michele Tafoya in the Minnesota Senate race, CBS News projects, defending the seat for Democrats after Sen. Tina Smith opted not to seek reelection.
Flanagan, 47, is the lieutenant governor and a former state representative who ran on progressive policies like Medicare for All. She defeated a more moderate opponent in the primary, and faced off against Tafoya for the open Senate seat after Tafoya beat out a crowded field for the GOP nomination.
Tafoya, 61, is a former sports broadcaster who campaigned on restoring accountability in response to multimillion-dollar fraud cases that have rattled the state. She sought to tie Flanagan to the Minnesota governor’s handling of the issue. And although Minnesota hasn’t elected a Republican to the Senate since 2002, the GOP was hoping to make inroads, given that Vice President Kamala Harris won the state by just four points in 2024.
At the same time, the Trump administration’s controversial immigration crackdown in Minnesota has loomed over the race, after the fatal shootings of two American citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis in January. The state, which is investigating the shootings, said in late October that the federal government stopped sharing evidence from the cases in July. And Republican candidates faced headwinds from the Iran war and President Trump’s tariff policy in the leadup to Election Day, including higher prices for cost of living, as well as for gas and diesel.
The projected victory for Democrats closes the door on one of the few pickup opportunities for Republicans. Though the map initially appeared to favor the GOP, competitive races opened up in states that Mr. Trump won handily in 2024, allowing Democrats to retake control of the chamber, CBS News projected.