Over and over this year, moderate Democrats have had big financial advantages over their progressive rivals in primary races. Over and over, the progressives have won.
Representative Angie Craig is hoping the outcome is different on Tuesday in Minnesota.
Ms. Craig, a centrist running for Senate, has a significant edge on advertising spending over her left-wing Democratic primary opponent, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. Ms. Craig has outspent her by more than four to one, $19.9 million versus $4.7 million, including money from allied outside groups, according to data from media tracking firm AdImpact.
Ms. Craig has been bolstered in particular by about $10 million in ad spending since late May from a low-profile group called North Star Dawn PAC.
That group — like an increasing number of super PACs with murky origins — has been funded almost entirely by a so-called dark-money nonprofit group, which allows the super PAC to avoid ever disclosing the true provenance of the cash. That nonprofit group, the Civic Progress Fund Inc., was incorporated last December in Delaware. It has also aired pro-Craig ads.
Ms. Flanagan has also sought to use Ms. Craig’s past support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee — a major pro-Israel lobbying group that has proved highly divisive in Democratic primaries this cycle — against her. AIPAC has not endorsed Ms. Craig or directly spent money on her behalf in this race.
Ms. Flanagan has attacked Ms. Craig as the candidate of dark money. But the lieutenant governor has had her own outside spending, primarily from a group affiliated with Democratic lieutenant governors that she once led. Some of its money comes from groups with undisclosed donors.
Ads from both the lieutenant governors group and North Star Dawn have sought to portray the opposing candidate as in the pocket of special interests.
Ms. Craig’s campaign raised more money than Ms. Flanagan’s by a margin of about two to one over the course of the race, allowing the congresswoman to outspend the lieutenant governor.
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