When Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced last year she would not seek re-election in 2026, she opened the door to a competitive Democratic primary and a potential pickup opportunity for Republicans.
A GOP candidate hasn’t won a Senate race in Minnesota in 20 years, but recent polling has a generic Republican candidate within single digits of a generic Democratic candidate. The parties will give names to those nominees on Aug. 11, when voters head to the polls for the primaries.
The Democratic ballot includes two names: Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. Craig had raised $12.7 million, nearly double Flanagan’s total, as of July 22. She entered the final weeks of the primary contest with $3.6 million in the bank, compared to Flanagan’s $1.1 million.
On the Republican side, sports journalist Michele Tafoya has a big lead over her opponents, former NBA player Royce White, retired Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze and retired Navy officer Tom Weiler. Tafoya has raised $5.3 million and was sitting on $1.3 million as of July 22.
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Recent polling shows Flanagan and Tafoya with comfortable leads, but prior polls had the Democratic race much closer.
