Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan emerged as the winner at last night's primary for the Democratic nomination — beating better-funded Congresswoman Angie Craig.
Lt. Gov. Flanagan will now face former sports broadcaster and Republican nominee Michele Tafoya in the U.S. Senate race in November.
MPR News host Clay Masters spoke with Flanagan about her campaign to be the state’s next U.S. Senator.
The transcript below has been lightly edited for clarity. Click the audio player above to listen to the conversation.
You've aligned with progressive figures who endorsed you, but you'll need some more moderate, independent voters in the fall to win. What's your pitch to them?
My pitch to them is the same that it's been throughout this entire campaign, which is, I am running to make sure people can afford the lives they want to live.
Too many folks are struggling right now, and I think a lot of folks are struggling due to the fact that [President] Donald Trump is very invested in making sure that he does well, and the billionaires around him, while working families are being left behind.
So I'm excited to keep running a strong grassroots campaign in all corners of Minnesota, showing up and working to earn the trust of voters.
How do you sell Medicare for All to a more moderate voter?
When I'm traveling in Greater Minnesota, Medicare for All is something that I hear a lot of support for because people who live in rural communities are getting squeezed. They have fewer options. Their care oftentimes is more expensive, and Medicare for All is, I think, one of the best ways to make sure folks can keep more money in their their pocket, and they're not going to be worried about visiting the doctor and paying that bill.
Folks who I've talked to have, you know, $16,000 deductibles and are just drowning. I think this is an incredible opportunity for all of us to fight for, so people again can afford their lives and pay for healthcare and not just health insurance.
Michelle Tafoya talks about support of abortion rights, saying she doesn't always agree with President Trump. She also didn't like how ‘Operation Metro Surge’ began in Minnesota. How do you compete for those kind of swing voters who might be seeing Tafoya as a more moderate option than you?
Well, I think that Michele Tafoya is trying to reinvent herself, because in her initial campaign launch video, she had footage of ICE. She, in fact, said ICE treated children really, really well. And I would say, you know, tell that to Liam [Conjeo] Ramos.
We see that she has been supportive of Donald Trump's illegal war in Iran that has caused gas prices to skyrocket. And when asked about how Minnesotans should deal with that, she told folks to have a stiff upper lip and take one less trip to Starbucks. I think asking people to suck it up, just because of Donald Trump and his on-again, off-again war in Iran, is completely disconnected from where Minnesotans are right now.
Folks want to be able to afford their lives. With the high cost of gas and fertilizer prices, Michele Tafoya is going to just be another ‘Yes, sir, Mr. President’ Senator, and we do not need that. We need someone who's going to serve the people of Minnesota and the people of Minnesota alone.
You talked about Minnesotans being motivated to join your campaign following ‘Operation Metro Surge.’ Last night during your acceptance speech, you talked about ripping ICE apart. What are you actually proposing?
I think that we can have secure borders and an immigration system that is grounded in safety, dignity, and a pathway to citizenship.
What we currently see in this agency is the fact they've been allowed to kill 11 individuals, including two Minnesotans, with impunity. Over $240 billion has gone to Donald Trump's ICE, and for what? We've just seen chaos and terror.
And so I want to work with folks — Democrats, Republicans — to create an immigration system that's actually grounded in safety and dignity. Because what we have right now is completely broken. And look forward to doing that work.
I'm not hearing you say you're calling to abolish it, as some progressive candidates have called for. How do you see it moving forward?
I mean, we need, you know, an immigration system, but ICE as it currently exists is not it. And I think there are folks across the country who are disturbed by what they've seen. And in Minnesota, when we saw 3,000 ICE agents terrorize our communities, traumatize our children and cause tremendous economic impact and fallout.
We can do better, and we can build an immigration system that is grounded again in safety and humanity, and not indefinite detention for folks. As we know that also over 50 people have died while in custody under Donald Trump's ICE.
So I think we need to work in partnership with organizations to determine what this will look like going forward. But I can tell you this system is broken, and I believe we can have comprehensive immigration reform, and you know that's what we're going to work towards. And that's what I hear Minnesotans talking about. And it's what they want and what they need from their leaders in Washington, D.C.
How will you address fraud during this general election?
I mean, I think we need to be really clear that fraud of any kind is unacceptable. As a former executive director of an organization that served children and families, I am angry and horrified that folks would steal taxpayer dollars for their own enrichment.
I know this is the issue that Republicans are going to use to run against every Democrat, and it's important that we are very clear that the grift and corruption under Donald Trump is something that Minnesotans are concerned about. And the fact that this guy is making money hand over fist through his crypto meme coin, through insider trading, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.
That is what Lisa Demuth and Michele Tafoya are going to have to answer for, and right now, they're actively seeking his endorsement.
How many debates do you want to do with Michele Tafoya?
It has not been 24 hours since the polls have closed, but we will absolutely debate. I look forward to it.
