Democrat Peggy Flanagan has won Minnesota's open U.S. Senate race against Republican Michele Tafoya, CBS News projects, following a campaign shaped by state fraud cases, federal immigration enforcement and economic concerns. The seat became open when Sen. Tina Smith decided against seeking another term. The projected result denies Republicans one of their few opportunities to pick up a Senate seat.
Flanagan, 47, serves as Minnesota's lieutenant governor and previously served in the state House of Representatives. Her campaign embraced progressive proposals, including Medicare for All. Before advancing to the general election against Tafoya, she defeated a more moderate candidate in the Democratic primary, securing her party's nomination for the contest to succeed Smith.
Tafoya, 61, entered the race as a former sports broadcaster and emerged from a crowded Republican primary field. She made accountability a central campaign theme, pointing to multimillion-dollar fraud cases that have shaken Minnesota. In pressing that argument, Tafoya sought to connect Flanagan to the Minnesota governor's response to the fraud cases.
Republicans had hoped the contest would offer an opening in a state that has not elected a GOP candidate to the Senate since 2002. Their hopes came after Vice President Kamala Harris carried Minnesota by only four percentage points in the 2024 presidential election. Tafoya's campaign for the open seat gave the party a chance to challenge that long Senate losing streak.
The race also unfolded against controversy surrounding the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minnesota. Federal agents fatally shot two American citizens in Minneapolis in January, and the state is investigating those shootings. The enforcement campaign and the deaths remained part of the backdrop to the Senate contest as voters weighed the candidates.
In the period before Election Day, Republican candidates also faced difficulties tied to the Iran war and President Trump's tariff policy. Higher living costs, along with increased gasoline and diesel prices, were among the pressures surrounding the election. Those challenges accompanied the state issues that featured in the Minnesota campaign.
Nationally, the Senate map had initially looked favorable to Republicans. But races became competitive in states Trump had won by substantial margins in 2024, creating openings for Democrats. CBS News projected that Democrats would regain control of the chamber, with Flanagan's Minnesota victory closing off a potential Republican gain.
