Flanagan and Tafoya clash for Smith's Senate seat

Minnesotans will cast ballots on Tuesday to select a replacement for U.S. Senator Tina Smith. The race pits Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan of the DFL against Michele Tafoya, a former sideline reporter running as a Republican. Tafoya is attempting to become the first Republican to hold a U.S. Senate seat from Minnesota since 2009.

Flanagan has served as lieutenant governor for seven years alongside Governor Tim Walz. Before that role, she spent time on the Minneapolis School Board, where she became the district's youngest member at age 25. She also worked as a trainer for Wellstone Action and served as executive director of the Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota. In 2015, she won a special election for District 46A in the Minnesota House, a post she held until assuming the lieutenant governorship in 2019.

Her campaign website lists an overhaul of federal immigration and Medicare for All as key priorities. Flanagan also aims to reverse cuts to food assistance and pass policies for affordable housing. She secured the DFL nomination in August after defeating Angie Craige. Her endorsements include Senator Smith, former President Barack Obama, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

Tafoya is a newcomer to state politics but won the GOP nomination in August by defeating endorsed candidate Adam Schwarze. She is a four-time Emmy Award winner who covered 327 games and five Super Bowls during a nearly three-decade broadcasting career. Her platform focuses on tougher penalties for fraud, cutting costs and taxes for the middle class, and establishing voter ID laws. She also seeks to strengthen bonds with law enforcement and federal agencies.

Support for Tafoya includes President Donald Trump, the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis, and the National Federation of Small Businesses. The general election occurs Tuesday, concluding the primary season that began in August.

The outcome will determine which party controls the state's Senate delegation. Flanagan and Tafoya both campaigned heavily on their respective platforms during the general election period. The last Republican to hold the seat left office in 2009. Voters will decide the winner on November 3.