Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate for U.S. Senate in Minnesota. Every point on this page links to its source. We don't grade candidates or tell you how to vote. As of 2026-09-28.
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Where they stand
In their own words, from their campaign website, summarised in plain English.
Economy and cost of living
Flanagan says she supports raising the federal minimum wage to at least $17 an hour tied to inflation, national paid family and medical leave, universal childcare, expanding the Child Tax Credit, and investment in small business loans so small businesses aren't taxed at higher rates than large corporations.
“Peggy supports an America where one good job is enough.”
Flanagan says she wants to cut taxes for middle and working class families by expanding the Child Tax Credit, eliminate the tax on Social Security for seniors, and make sure the wealthiest Americans and large corporations pay their fair share instead of getting special tax treatment.
Flanagan says she wants to fight for Medicare for All while working to expand access to care, ban insurance companies from using prior authorization to deny care, restore Medicaid cuts, expand Medicare/Medicaid to cover vision, dental, and hearing, and require Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate lower prescription drug prices.
“Peggy believes healthcare is a human right and will fight for Medicare for All”
Flanagan says she wants to eliminate the tax on Social Security, reverse Medicaid cuts affecting nursing home residents, fight cuts to Medicare, protect Social Security by expanding the income cap so wealthier Americans contribute more, and expand SNAP and Meals on Wheels for seniors.
“Peggy supports eliminating the tax on Social Security to expand the personal budgets of seniors.”
Flanagan says she wants to dismantle ICE and reimagine an immigration system based on due process, end mass deportation policies, invest in modernizing border technology and staffing, and create a pathway to legal status for long-term undocumented residents, while also supporting protections for refugees and asylum seekers.
Flanagan says she supports passing the Women's Health Protection Act to restore Roe v. Wade protections nationwide, repealing the Hyde Amendment, defending Planned Parenthood funding, and requiring Medicaid and insurance companies to cover IVF.
Flanagan says she supports action to fight climate change, opposes rollbacks of clean energy investment, and backs wind, solar, biofuels including sustainable aviation fuel, and green hydrogen technologies that create union jobs.
“Peggy opposes the Trump Administration’s rollback of investments in clean energy and supports clean energy solutions like wind and solar that also create new union jobs in all areas of our state.”
Flanagan says she wants to ban assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and ghost guns, while also funding local police departments and investing in re-entry and rehabilitation programs.
“Peggy wants to ban assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and ghost guns.”
Flanagan says she supports eliminating tariffs harming farmers while protecting industries like iron mining, backs a two-state solution with a lasting ceasefire in the Middle East and would have voted to halt offensive weapons sales to Israel, and supports rebuilding NATO ties and continued support for Ukraine against Russia.
“Peggy believes the United States and global partners must surge aid to Gaza and help rebuild the area.”
Flanagan says she wants to ban corporate money in elections and require donor disclosure, reverse Citizens United, ban stock trading by federal officeholders, ban officials from lobbying, reform the Supreme Court, and pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act to protect voting rights.
“Peggy will fight to ban corporate money in our elections and require disclosure of all donors.”
From FEC filings for 2025–26. Outside spending is money a group spends on its own about a candidate — TV and online ads, mail, canvassing. It is not a donation to the campaign, and the candidate does not control it. Supporting means it was spent to help that candidate win; Opposing means it was spent to defeat them, usually on attack ads. Groups report it within 24 or 48 hours as the election nears. Raised is the campaign's own fundraising, as of its latest quarterly report. Largest donors come from each outside spender's own FEC receipts, with each donor's share of its itemized receipts; donors under $100,000 are not named. People are shown with the employer and occupation they reported. A donor that is itself a political committee is shown with its own largest donors. Companies and nonprofits don't report their funders to the FEC, so the trail ends there, and the page says so.
Peggy Flanagan (DFL)
Raised
$6.5M through 2026-07-22individuals $6.3M · PACs $178K · candidate's own money, incl. loans $7,000 · from the candidate's other committees $40K · cash on hand $1.1M
NORTH STAR DAWN PAC— $6.2M opposing Flanagan, $200K supporting Flanagan
· 4 ads on this pageLargest donors:
CIVIC PROGRESS FUND, INC. $13.6M (95%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC); Stephen Mandel $300K (2%), Lone Pine Capital, Founder; D.R.I.V.E. - DEM, REP, IND VOTER ED (THE PAC OF THE INT'L BRHD OF TEAMSTERS) $100K (1%); ENGINEERS POLITICAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE (EPEC)/INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS $100K (1%)DLGA— $1.1M supporting FlanaganLargest donors:
DEMOCRATIC LIEUTENANT GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION INC $276K (5%); POARCH CREEK INDIANS $250K (4%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC); NATIONAL NURSES UNITED $200K (3%); Elizabeth Gilmore $200K (3%), Retired; VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS $175K (3%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC)UNITE TO WIN— $1.0M opposing FlanaganLargest donors:
DEMOCRACY MATTERS $1.4M (>99%)MINNESOTA FORWARD— $228K opposing FlanaganCLEAR VOICE MINNESOTA— $133K supporting FlanaganLargest donors:
Chuck Smith-dewey $100K (40%), Retired, Retiredand 10 more
Bundled through PACs
$4,500 through 1 PAC · FEC bulk data of 2026-09-27VOTE MAMA— $4,500 from 2 gifts
41 PACs gave directly — alphabetical; the legal limit is $5,000 per election
AL FRANKEN FOR SENATE $4,000
AMERICAN COMMITTEE FOR MIDDLE EAST RIGHTS - MIDDLE EAST RIGHTS & INTEGRITY PAC (ACMER MERIT PAC) $1,000
AMERICAN MOBILIZATION PAC $10K
BEND THE ARC JEWISH ACTION INC. PAC $2,500
BLUE WAVE PROJECT $5,000
BRINGING EVERYONE TOGETHER THROUGH ADVOCACY $5,000
CHRISTOPHER STREET PROJECT PAC (CSP PAC) $2,500
COMMITTEE TO ELECT MARIANNA ANAYA $500
COMMON DEFENSE ACTION FUND $1,000
DEMOCRACY SUMMER LEADERSHIP PAC $2,000
DIRT ROAD DEMOCRATS PAC $2,500
DLGA PAC $10K
DLP PAC $5,000
ELECTING WOMEN BAY AREA PAC $3,418
END CITIZENS UNITED $5,000
FIGHT PAC $4,574
INDIAN GAMING ASSOCIATION $5,000
INSPIRING LEADERSHIP HAS A NAME PAC $2,000
INT'L UNION OF BRICKLAYERS AND ALLIED CRAFTWORKERS $5,000
JANE FONDA CLIMATE PAC $5,000
JONATHAN NEZ FOR CONGRESS $4,000
LABORERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA (LIUNA) PAC $2,500
LOBO PAC $5,000
LOS ANGELES WOMEN'S GIVING COLLECTIVE PAC $1,000
MAXWELL ALEJANDRO FROST FOR CONGRESS $2,000
MCKENNA FOR CONGRESS $1,000
MEDICARE FOR ALL $5,000
MIDWEST VALUES PAC $10K
MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION $5,000
NATIONAL NURSES UNITED PAC - A FUND FOR A HEALTHY AMERICA $5,000
NO DEM LEFT BEHIND PAC $5,000
PAID LEAVE PAC $500
PERSIST PAC $3,500
PROGRESSIVE VOTERS OF AMERICA $10K
RISING DEMS $3,500
SEIU COPE (SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL EDUCATION) $5,000
What named supporters and critics say, as reported. Shown in equal numbers.
Praise
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Endorsed Flanagan as a fighter for working people amid economic instability. washingtonexaminer.com
Accurate?
Tina Smith: Endorsed Flanagan, saying the Senate needs leaders with courage to challenge the status quo. startribune.com
Accurate?
Ilhan Omar: Endorsed Flanagan for her courage to stand up to Trump and defend immigrant communities. startribune.com
Accurate?
Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer (DSCC): Said Flanagan will be a powerful advocate for working people in the Senate. thehill.com
Accurate?
Criticism
Tim Scott: Said Flanagan oversaw the worst fraud scandal in modern American history and is a radical socialist. thehill.com
Accurate?
Tom Emmer: Said both Flanagan and Craig sat idly by while billions were stolen from taxpayers. foxnews.com
Accurate?
David Hann: Said Flanagan's hijab video was emblematic of the political attitude behind the fraud scandal. foxnews.com
Accurate?
Kurtz: Said Flanagan should call on her former employees at DLGA to stop spending big for her if she's really concerned about super PACs. startribune.com
Accurate?
Controversies
Stated as reported. Most are reported by at least two independent news outlets or found in an official record; any with only one source so far is marked Single source.
Allegations
Comments dismissing DHS fraud whistleblowers
A Minnesota state representative testified to Congress that at an April 2024 event, Flanagan publicly referred to whistleblowers who had raised fraud concerns as 'weirdos and losers sitting in their mothers' basement,' which reportedly drew gasps from the crowd.
As lieutenant governor under Gov. Tim Walz, Flanagan was reportedly present for some conversations about misuse of federal funds in Minnesota's social service programs while a fraud scandal (including the Feeding Our Future program) unfolded; congressional committees investigated the state's handling of the fraud, and Republicans and primary opponent Angie Craig argued Flanagan bore some responsibility, which Flanagan disputed.
Response: “I certainly was part of conversations, but I did not lead in this area of work.”
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