And The Winner Is
Peggy Flanagan won the Minnesota U.S. Senate general election on November 3, leading Republican nominee Michele Tafoya by 287,619 votes as of Nov. 4. These results are still unofficial, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State.
The State Canvassing Board is scheduled to certify results on November 19, at which point the outcome becomes final.
Tina Smith, the incumbent, has held the seat since January 3, 2018, but did not seek re-election in 2026, leaving the seat open.
Pre-Election Indicators
Flanagan won the August 11, 2026 Democratic primary with 59.01 percent of the vote and 411,853 votes, defeating Angie Craig, who received 39.39 percent and 274,920 votes, in a six-candidate field that drew 697,927 total votes. On the Republican side, Michele Tafoya won her primary with 44,347 votes, a pool roughly one-sixteenth the size of the Democratic primary electorate.
Money and Outside Spending
Flanagan raised $11,563,963.37 in total receipts and spent $10,570,749.30, finishing with $993,214.07 cash on hand. Tafoya raised $12,501,785.59 and spent $9,682,729.80, leaving $2,819,386.89 on hand, making her the higher fundraiser of the two general-election nominees by $937,822.22.
Craig, who lost the Democratic primary, disbursed $13,232,447.55 during the race, more than Flanagan's total receipts of $11,563,963.37 for the entire cycle.
Outside spending opposing Flanagan reached $7,427,759.55, more than five times the $1,419,810.95 spent supporting her, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings tracked through November 4.
North Star Dawn PAC is the top outside spender in the race, with $13,785,244.58 in total spending, including $7,756,334.41 in support and $6,028,910.17 in opposition. DLGA reported $3,194,678.64 in total outside spending in the race, of which $1,087,134.64 was support and $2,107,544 was opposition.
Total outside spending across all candidates reached $20,946,179.00 in confirmed independent expenditures, with an additional $6,563,736.02 in pending notices, as of November 4.
The Incumbent's Record
Smith served on the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, the Committee on Finance, and the Committee on Indian Affairs in the 119th Congress. She held the ranking member position on the Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development and the Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth.
Smith's sponsored legislation in the 119th Congress includes the Rural Residency Planning and Development Act of 2026 (S.5232), the Promoting Access to Local Agriculture Act of 2026 (S.4483), and the Rural Housing Service Reform Act of 2025 (S.1260).
What's Next
Results remain unofficial until certification on November 19.
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