CBS News projects Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan will defeat Republican Michele Tafoya for an open U.S. Senate seat, preserving it for Democrats as the party is projected to win control of the chamber.
Flanagan’s projected victory would keep the seat with Democrats after Sen. Tina Smith chose not to seek reelection. Minnesota has not elected a Republican senator since 2002. CBS News said Republicans saw an opening in the race after then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried the state by four points in 2024.
Tafoya, a former sports broadcaster, made fraud oversight a campaign issue and questioned Flanagan’s accountability for the Walz administration’s handling of fraud cases. Flanagan campaigned on Medicare for All and a $17 federal minimum wage.
Flanagan, a former state representative, is a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe. If the projected result holds, she would be the first Native American woman to serve in the U.S. Senate.
