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Republican strategists and lawmakers are hoping that when voters head to the polls in November to elect the subsequent U.S. Senator of Minnesota, they’ll be compelled to decide on between both a Republican candidate — or Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.
In a Democratic major that has but to play out, Home Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., believes Flanagan would give Republicans higher odds than her opponent, Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn.
“You’ve got acquired the novel Left that’s actually upending the celebration. It is that loopy Marxist anarchist group that’s in Minneapolis, particularly with a major,” Emmer mentioned in an interview with native media.
“Take into consideration this. You’ve got acquired Angie Craig, who can have all the cash. However she is aware of that her numbers are within the tank in opposition to this radical, wild, wild-eyed Peggy Flanagan, the present lieutenant governor. So, guess who reveals up [to the primary]? All of the crazies from Minneapolis.”
EX-NFL REPORTER LAUNCHES GOP SENATE BID, REVEALS HOW SHE WILL FLIP SCRIPT ON STATE’S ‘CRISIS OF LEADERSHIP”
Minnesota Lt. Gov. and candidate for U.S. Senate Peggy Flanagan, left, pictured alongside her Democratic challenger Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., proper. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Name, Inc by way of Getty Photos; David Berding/Getty Photos)
“Peggy Flanagan is probably going going to be their candidate, and that’s good for us,” Emmer mentioned.
The evaluation isn’t distinctive to Emmer.
The Democratic race started in February of final 12 months when Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., sparked a four-way Democratic major with information that she wouldn’t pursue reelection in 2026.
Along with Craig and Flanagan, Billy Nord, an anti-establishment activist, and Melisa López Franzen, a former minority chief of the Minnesota Senate, introduced bids for the seat. However it didn’t take lengthy for Craig and Flanagan to emerge because the clear-cut frontrunners.
Craig, a former journalist, businesswoman and a present four-term U.S. congresswoman, has $4.8 million in money available, in keeping with FEC information.
Flanagan, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor for the previous seven years, has $1.1 million money available.
Nord has not reported contributions with the FEC and López dropped out of the race in Could of final 12 months.
DEMOCRAT IN KEY SENATE PRIMARY SAYS SHE ‘REGRETS’ VOTE ON LAKEN RILEY ACT, DRAWS GOP BACKLASH
ST. PAUL, MN. – NOVEMBER 2018: Minnesota DFL (Democratic-Farmer-Laborer Occasion) Lieutenant Governor-elect Peggy Flanagan and Governor-elect Tim Walz arrived at their transition workplaces within the State Capitol Thursday morning, November 8, 2018, in St. Paul, Minn. (Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune)
Whereas Republican onlookers consider each frontrunners might be described as “far-left,” many have identified Flanagan shares platform similarities with extra polarizing, high-profile Democrats — akin to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and has shared the identical platform as Gov. Tim Walz, who she has referred to as an “unimaginable accomplice.” Walz was hammered throughout his failed 2024 vice presidential bid for all of his far-left proposals.
Within the view of the Nationwide Republican Senatorial Committee, that makes for a Republican benefit.
“She, too, helps Medicare for All, needs to ‘re-imagine’ policing and attended anti-ICE protests the place she referred to as on folks to “put their our bodies on the road” to defend unlawful immigrants from ICE,” the NRSC mentioned in a press launch.
Extra notably, Republicans consider Flanagan’s best legal responsibility is a tenure that overlaps with current revelations of as much as $9 billion in fraud by authorities profit packages.
By scores of schemes, fraudsters in Minnesota allegedly siphoned funding from authorities packages like daycare facilities and well being clinics whereas returning no advantages, tremendously exaggerating their providers and pocketing authorities funding.
The fraud revelations made nationwide information final 12 months, elevating questions on how state management might have missed the sheer dimension of the losses.
DFL celebration Chair Mike Erlandson informed the Minnesota Star Tribune he believes fraud will stay front-and-center within the minds of voters.
“I don’t suppose there’s any means that this situation isn’t nonetheless being talked about in November. And anyone that was a celebration to it, whether or not you’re a legislator or Lt. Gov. Flanagan, if she’s the nominee, goes to must reply questions round it,” Erlandson mentioned.
NRSC Chairman Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., echoed that sentiment.
“From permitting billions of {dollars} in fraud to vilifying regulation enforcement, the Walz-Flanagan administration has failed Minnesotans,” Scott wrote in a publish to X.
For her personal half, Flanagan’s marketing campaign informed Fox Information Digital she likes her possibilities to win in a basic election, pointing to Minnesota’s solidly-blue monitor file of sending Democrats to the U.S. Senate.
“Minnesota hasn’t voted for a Republican statewide in over 20 years – with Trump within the White Home and the chaos ICE inflicted on Minnesotans, this isn’t going to be Craig’s or the GOP’s 12 months,” Alexandra Fetissoff, a Flanagan marketing campaign spokeswoman, mentioned.
“Peggy Flanagan is the one candidate on this race who has gained statewide, the one candidate not taking company cash and the one candidate that hasn’t enabled Trump’s ICE. Minnesotans know Peggy and belief her management and that is why she’ll be the subsequent Senator from Minnesota.”
MICHELE TAFOYA SAYS MINNESOTA NEEDS POLITICAL OUTSIDER ‘WITH A SPINE’ IN REPUBLICAN SENATE BID
ST. PAUL, MN. – JUNE 2022: Minnesota DFL (Democratic-Farmer-Laborer Occasion) Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan speaks throughout a press convention Saturday, June 25, 2022 in St. Paul, Minn. U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith joined Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan on the State Capitol for a Press Convention with Deliberate Parenthood North Central States CEO and President Sarah Stoesz a day after the U.S. Supreme Court docket overturned Roe V. Wade. (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune)
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When requested if he stood by his feedback on the Minnesota major, Emmer mentioned he believes Republicans will run a aggressive race, whatever the Democratic nominee.
“Minnesotans will reject each of those far-left, fraud-enabling radicals who would solely dig our state into an excellent deeper gap than it is already in. Good luck to Flanagan and Craig as they proceed combating tooth and nail to win over the cop hating, open-border extremist base whereas alienating commonsense Minnesotans,” Emmer mentioned.
Craig and Flanagan will face off within the major on Aug. 11. Fox Information Digital reached out to Craig for remark.
