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Peter Cox

Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race plays into broader battle for chamber majority

Two women sit at desks for a debate.
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks during a debate with Republican candidate Michele Tafoya at Minnesota Public Radio headquarters on Oct. 16 in St. Paul. The candidates discussed issues facing Minnesota voters ahead of the November election.
Kerem Yücel | MPR News

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Minnesota's new senator will be a trailblazer. And they'll figure into the majority math.
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Minnesota’s open U.S. Senate seat didn’t attract the loads of outside spending or a constant parade of prominent party officials as other battleground contests.

But the election featuring Democratic nominee Peggy Flanagan and Republican nominee Michele Tafoya still mattered to the Senate math. The chamber majority at stake Tuesday had Democrats depending on a Minnesota win and Republicans eyeing a surprise pickup.

Minnesota is one of 11 states with an open seat. Democratic Sen. Tina Smith is stepping away after this term.

With several historically Republican seats in play, Minnesota made for an intriguing possibility.

But the tougher battles elsewhere became magnets for the money that might have otherwise come into Minnesota. Neither party plowed considerable money into the race since the ballot was set by the August primary.

The seat has been held by Democrats since 2009, when Republican Sen. Norm Coleman left office.

Both have a shot at history: Flanagan as the first Indigenous woman elected to the Senate; Tafoya as the first Republican Latina senator.

Tafoya, a nationally known former sports sideline reporter who is more moderate than past Minnesota nominees, landed the nod after getting bypassed by state GOP convention delegates. Her primary victory came over lesser-funded opponents, Adam Schwarze and Royce White. Tafoya had the backing of Senate Republican leaders.

On the Democratic side, Lt. Gov. Flanagan needed to get through a pricey primary campaign.

Flanagan defeated a well-financed challenger, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, in a race that mimicked other Democratic primaries across the country. Flanagan, a progressive backed by U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, worked to draw contrast with the moderate Craig.

The congresswoman’s prior vote in support of a tougher immigration law came back to haunt her after the agent surge in Minnesota. Flanagan cruised to a 59 percent to 40 percent win despite polling that reflected a closer race.

Third party candidates including Libertarian Rebecca Whiting and independent Marisa Simonetti are also vying for the seat. Write-in candidate Alycia Gruenhagen, who sought the GOP endorsement earlier, ran to Tafoya’s right.

Defining issues in the Flanagan-Tafoya race echoed the other big races in the state.

Tafoya blamed Flanagan for letting fraud fester as part of the Walz administration. Flanagan countered that Tafoya wouldn’t be willing to stand up to President Donald Trump. Tafoya tried to separate some by labeling herself an independent voice and by promoting moderate stances on guns and abortion, but that also caused pushback from conservatives.

The new senator takes office in early January.

Editor’s note: MPR News will update this story through the day and into Tuesday night as ballots are counted.