Minnesota's primary elections will include races for Senate, governor, and House seats. Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are competing to succeed retiring Sen. Tina Smith. Flanagan is supported by national progressives, including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, while Craig has endorsements from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who is not seeking reelection, has not endorsed a candidate in the Senate race. The current midterm election cycle has seen a rise in progressive candidates, raising discussions among Democrats about their viability in general elections. Five House Democratic incumbents have lost primaries to progressive challengers this year.
The race has also been influenced by recent incidents involving federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota, which have led both candidates to advocate for legal accountability for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Flanagan has criticized Craig for her previous vote in favor of a Trump-backed immigration bill, which Craig has expressed regret over.
Support for Israel has emerged as another significant issue, with Craig receiving backing from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in past races, while Flanagan opposes offensive weapon sales to Israel and has labeled its actions in Gaza as genocide.
Investigations into alleged fraud in state social services programs have also been a point of contention, with Craig blaming Flanagan for insufficient oversight, a claim Flanagan disputes.
In the governor's race, Sen. Amy Klobuchar is expected to secure the Democratic nomination to succeed Walz. On the Republican side, former MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has received an endorsement from Donald Trump and is competing against other candidates for the nomination.
Craig's Senate candidacy opens a seat in the Second Congressional District, where a competitive Democratic primary is underway. In Minnesota's 1st District, Democrats are aiming to unseat incumbent Rep. Brad Finstad, while in the 8th District, a Democratic candidate with reality TV experience is challenging Rep. Pete Stauber.