Why It Matters
U.S. Rep. Angie Craig’s decision to bypass Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party endorsement process sets up a contested primary for the state’s U.S. Senate seat. The move highlights ongoing tensions within state Democratic parties over whether internal endorsement conventions represent the broader electorate or favor ideologically driven activists.
Craig represents Minnesota’s most competitive congressional district and argues her record of winning swing voters makes her better positioned for a general election. The race will test whether party establishment support or appeal to moderate primary voters proves decisive in selecting the Democratic nominee.
What Happened
Craig announced Wednesday she will not seek the DFL endorsement at the party convention in Rochester this weekend. Instead, she will compete directly in the August primary election.
The decision comes as Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan’s campaign reported she had secured support from approximately 75 percent of the roughly 1,200 party delegates who will vote at the convention. Craig held a news conference outside the state Capitol in St. Paul, where she criticized the endorsement process as unrepresentative of most Minnesotans.
Craig argued the convention system favors candidates who appeal to party activists willing to spend weekends at conventions, rather than those who can win general elections. She said most voters lack the time to participate in the multi-step caucus and convention process.
By the Numbers
Approximately 1,200 DFL delegates will make the endorsement decision at this weekend’s convention. Flanagan’s campaign claims support from about 75 percent of those delegates. Craig has won her congressional district by increasing margins since 2018, including in areas carried by Donald Trump in presidential elections. Publicly available polling shows Flanagan leading Craig in the primary race.
The Endorsement Controversy
Craig faced opposition from party activists over her vote for the Laken Riley Act, which authorized the Department of Homeland Security to detain illegal immigrants without bail for certain property crimes including burglary and theft. Craig later said she regretted the vote following immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota.
St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, a Hmong refugee, defended Craig’s overall immigration record at the news conference, citing her co-sponsorship of legislation providing a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and measures opposing Trump-era travel restrictions.
Flanagan’s campaign responded that if Craig believed the endorsement was unimportant, she would not have spent months attending smaller conventions seeking delegate support. Flanagan said in a video statement that candidates who cannot face their own party are not prepared to face Republicans in a general election.
Zoom Out
Minnesota’s DFL endorsement process has a mixed record of selecting candidates who win primaries. Gov. Tim Walz and Flanagan both lost the party endorsement in 2018 but went on to win the primary and general election. The tension between party activist preferences and broader electorate appeal is a recurring challenge in state Democratic parties nationwide, particularly in competitive states where general election viability is paramount.
The primary system allows candidates to bypass internal party processes and appeal directly to registered voters, a strategy Craig is betting will favor her swing-district electoral experience over Flanagan’s party establishment support.
What’s Next
The DFL convention will proceed this weekend in Rochester, where Flanagan is expected to secure the party endorsement. Craig and Flanagan will then compete in the August primary. The Democratic nominee will face the Republican candidate in the general election, with Michele Tafoya, a retired sports broadcaster, currently leading the Republican field. The race will be closely watched as a test of whether moderate or progressive candidates perform better in competitive statewide contests.