Voters in Minnesota and Wisconsin head to the polls Tuesday with a chance to further cement the Upper Midwest’s claim to the far‑left mantle inside a Democratic Party increasingly riven by proxy fights between its liberal and centrist wings.
In Minnesota, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, the liberal favorite who secured the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (Minnesota DFL) endorsement in May, is facing Rep. Angie Craig, a moderate, in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Tina Smith.
Ms. Craig has outraised Ms. Flanagan nearly two-to-one, pulling in $12.8 million through July 22 compared with her rival’s $6.5 million, and heads into the final stretch with a clear cash advantage.
Mr. Flanagan, however, is riding the insurgent populist wave that has energized far-left candidates across the country.
Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor has turned into one of the season’s more unpredictable contests — and by some measures, more ideologically charged than the fight in Minnesota.
State Rep. Francesca Hong, a self‑described democratic socialist backed by Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Ro Khanna of California, has led recent polling, putting her ahead of her chief rival, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.
Democrats are increasingly worried that Ms. Hong’s liberal worldview — including a 2020 social media post in which she said Thanksgiving should be tossed out — could hurt the party in November.
It has been a tumultuous race.
Gov. Tony Evers endorsed Mr. Crowley in July, shortly after he reentered the race. His return followed Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez’s abrupt exit, which came after she discovered serious inaccuracies and mismanagement in her campaign‑finance reports.
The Minnesota contest is unfolding just months after President Trump’s controversial Operation Metro Surge immigration‑enforcement crackdown in Minneapolis, which led to mass roundups of immigrants, sparked violent protests and resulted in the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Ms. Flanagan has relentlessly attacked Ms. Craig for supporting legislation named after Laken Riley that strengthened and expanded the government’s immigration‑enforcement efforts.
Ms. Flanagan, meanwhile, has faced criticism related to the multi‑billion‑dollar welfare‑fraud scandal that rocked the state, and created major political headaches for Gov. Tim Waltz.
The Minnesota primary is being cast as a reprise of last week’s Michigan showdown, where far-left candidate Abdul El‑Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens for the Democratic Senate nomination.
Like Mr. El‑Sayed, Ms. Flanagan has the support of Sen. Bernard Sanders. She has pledged to oppose Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer as Democratic leader, fight for Medicare for All and end U.S. military assistance to Israel. She criticized Ms. Craig for opposing an effort last month to strip $3.3 billion in assistance to Israel.
Ms. Craig, like Ms. Stevens, has directed her criticism of Israel at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and positioned herself as a steady, electable alternative to Ms. Flanagan.
She’s emphasizing lowering prescription drug costs, protecting abortion access, and strengthening the middle class. Her pitch boils down to a familiar message: a practical Democrat focused on cost‑of‑living issues and governing from the middle.
Mr. Sanders on Sunday said he expects a close race, drawing a direct line to Michigan.
“I think what we’re seeing in Minnesota, in Michigan, and all across this country, is that people understand that we’re living with an economy that is rigged,” he said, adding that “60 percent of our people” are living paycheck to paycheck.
“People can’t afford groceries, housing, healthcare, basic necessities of life, and at the same time, they’re seeing the richest people in this country become even richer,” he told CBS News’s Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation.”
He said people are “tired of the status quo politics and establishment policies — they want real change.”
The winner of the Minnesota primary is expected to face Republican Michele Tafoya, a former sports broadcaster who is trying to become the first Republican to win statewide in Minnesota since 2006.
Ms. Craig’s Senate bid has also opened up her 2nd Congressional District seat — the state’s only open U.S. House race this cycle and one that’s drawing unexpected attention of its own. The district is the most evenly divided in Minnesota.
Republicans held it for two decades before Ms. Craig flipped it in the blue wave of 2018. Ms. Craig has not endorsed any of the candidates.
Matt Little, a former state senator, state Sen. Matt Klein and state Rep. Kaela Berg are vying for the Democratic nomination.
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