Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) has still not weighed in on the Minnesota Democratic Senate primary race with an endorsement, but on Monday, his wife did.
Minnesota’s first lady, Gwen Walz, backed Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) in her race against Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D-MN) to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by retiring Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN). Gwen Walz’s endorsement of Craig is not only a diss to her husband’s lieutenant governor but also a signal in favor of the more centrist platform Craig has promoted over Flanagan’s progressive agenda.
“In an era when everything we hold dear is at stake, we need a nominee who can win statewide—in red counties and blue. And that’s Angie. Her heart’s as big as Minnesota and her record of winning tough races speaks for itself. She has the savvy, the focus, and the work ethic necessary to get the job done and keep this seat blue,” Gwen Walz said in her endorsement message.
Tim Walz has not yet endorsed in the race, as he heads for the exit following the fraud scandal gripping his administration. Flanagan, who has also been engulfed in putting out the fire of the Minnesota fraud scandal, has also distanced herself from the outgoing governor who picked her as his running mate in 2017, telling Kare11 she has a “good relationship” with Tim Walz but saying that “it’s been important for me to step out on my own” during the Senate campaign. The two have reportedly had friction dating back to 2024.
While Flanagan has touted a more progressive agenda, backed by the likes of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Craig has stuck to her bipartisan record and to fighting the Trump administration’s agenda. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and much of the Democratic establishment have backed Craig.
As the Cook Political Report, which rates the race a “Likely D,” puts it: “National Republicans would much rather face the progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan — whom they can more easily link to the state’s expansive fraud scandal – than centrist Rep. Angie Craig.”
The Minnesota primaries are set for Aug. 11, with polls bouncing back and forth between Craig and Flanagan.
On the GOP side, sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya is leading in primary polling. The state has voted Democratic in the last three presidential elections.