In the race to replace US Senator Tina Smith (D-Minnesota), who’s retiring this year after two terms, the leading candidates are both fellow Democrats: Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan and Congresswoman Angie Craig.
Flanagan is seen as the progressive candidate in the race, while. Craig is taking a stance as a leftist moderate for the everyday Minnesotan. We interviewed both candidates to see what issues they agree–and differ–on for the midterm election.
While Flanagan won the Minnesota DFL Party endorsement in Rochester this past weekend, the race is still alive, as Craig is going straight to the primary election. Read more about the biggest political races in Minnesota this midterms here.
Progressive vs. Moderate
When asked about being labelled progressive and moderate, Flanagan and Craig took different approaches.
We asked Craig how she feels about voters saying she’s “too moderate” compared to Flanagan. Craig said simply, she doesn’t “think those old words matter anymore,” but instead, “the question is, who are you willing to fight? Donald Trump and Republicans.” She said her Republican colleagues “who have no spine” are sitting on the sidelines, while she is trying to fight for “working Americans, the middle class” and against “big corporations who have created monopolies in this country.”
Craig also touted her position as co-chair of the Monopoly Busters Caucus, which “fights corporate greed.” She added that she is looking to represent the state of Minnesota in its entirety, including residents of all political affiliations. “I don’t think Democrats putting labels on each other and fighting each other helps us keep one Republican out of Congress or out of office to stop Donald Trump,” Craig said.
We asked Flanagan about being labeled “too progressive,” and her take on Craig’s comment on infighting amongst Democrats. In response, Flanagan said, “I don’t know what exactly Congresswoman Craig is speaking to, but I’ll tell you what, I proudly wear the moniker of being a progressive in Minnesota.”
Flanagan added that being a progressive means “caring about making progress in peoples’ lives.” She brought up fighting for universal childcare, Medicare for all, and getting “big money” out of politics and elections. She also told voters they have a choice: “They can have a progressive champion who’s been working on behalf of working families for the last 20 years, or an institutional corporate Democrat who’s got a lot of support from crypto, big pharma, big oil, AIPAC,” Flanagan said.
Top priorities
Flanagan and Craig have some overlap when it comes to their campaign priorities of healthcare, immigration reform, and big money in politics, but they put emphasis on differing subjects in these interviews. We asked each what their top priorities are when it comes to potentially joining the US Senate.
Immigration
Craig said that “standing up to the Trump administration on their horrific immigration practices is my top priority right now.” She also wants to help ensure that “America’s Dreamers have a path to citizenship.” She did not offer additional details on immigration reforms she would support.
Craig was also the only Minnesota Democrat in Congress to vote for the Laken Riley Act in 2025. The law allows for the detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants accused of crimes, including non-violent offenses. In March, Craig published a piece in the Star Tribune saying she regretted the vote, months after the start of Operation Metro Surge (OMS), where the Laken Riley Act was used to arrest and deport Minnesotans.
Flanagan brought up the $1.7 billion slush fund proposed by Trump to pay insurrectionists–which is now being walked back by the administration after criticism–saying it’s “a slap in the face” after OMS. She said she would “go after these folks to make sure that this [OMS] can never, ever happen again.” Flanagan also discussed the economic impact OMS had, the loss of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and how she “constantly thinks about the impact this has on our kids and the kind of trauma that they’re going to have to deal with.” She added that there “needs to be a criminal prosecution of this administration and the people who have participated in completely fleecing the American people.”
Attacks on democracy
Craig believes the “biggest risk we have right now in this country is actually the attacks on democracy, gerrymandering, voting rights, and big money in politics.” She says all of these issues stem from the current federal administration. She also brought up security and safety in the midterm elections, stating that she believes Trump could invoke the Insurrection Act and send National Guard and ICE officers to our polling places if not stopped. She says Congress has been working “to make sure we have legal challenges ready, but more than that, we need people to sign up to be poll watchers.”
Flanagan says she wants to build relationships with her colleagues so Senate Democrats are “no longer fighting from a defensive crouch.” She says she hears daily from Democrats, Independents, and Republicans who “feel like they’re being squeezed, and like the game is rigged, cause they’re right.”
Flanagan added that she wants to see both Democrats and Republicans fighting the same battle, “all of us, versus Donald Trump, his billionaire besties, and the people enriching themselves by being part of his administration.”
Other
Flanagan and Craig both mentioned and agreed on issues like making healthcare, childcare, and groceries affordable, and securing funding and support for struggling farmers. They also talked about extending a hand across the aisle, even if it’s difficult to do so. Flanagan in particular brought up Medicare for all, Craig did not.
Taking down federal corruption
Finally, we asked both Flanagan and Craig about what they would do to address corruption in the federal government as a US Senator.
In response, Craig said she’s already made moves in Congress, voting twice to impeach Donald Trump. She says she “will do everything in my power to make sure that we put a check and balance on Donald Trump.” In regards to the Epstein files, she says it’s “unbelievable that my colleagues on the Republican side will not stand up for these survivors.” Craig promised to make sure Americans “see everything” in the files, and hold those who have committed crimes accountable, “including and up to the President of the United States.”
Flanagan said the “blatant corruption is on full display.” She said she would push for the 17 inspectors general Trump fired shortly after taking office to be brought back, and for the “60 white-collar criminals” he’s pardoned to pay their dues. Flanagan also wants to hold Trump and his family accountable for engaging in cryptocurrency “to the tune of billions of dollars directly from the Oval Office.”
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