Peggy Flanagan, a Democrat who has served two terms as Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, defeated the former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya, according to The Associated Press. The contest to replace the retiring Senator Tina Smith became surprisingly competitive in the final weeks.
Ms. Flanagan, who has governed Minnesota alongside Gov. Tim Walz, since 2019, made history as the first Native American woman elected to the Senate.
She ran on an unabashedly liberal agenda, vowing to fight for the universal health care policy known as Medicare for All, pursue a sweeping overhaul of the immigration enforcement system and set a $17 federal minimum wage.
As she campaigned, Ms. Flanagan, 47, faced questions about her role in a scandal over widespread fraud in state-run safety net programs.
Prosecutors and lawmakers from both parties said that the Walz administration was slow to respond to brazen schemes that resulted in the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars from programs meant to feed low-income children, treat minors with autism and help people at risk of homelessness.
That was a dominant issue during the primary race, in which Ms. Flanagan trounced a centrist rival, Representative Angie Craig. And it was the main line of attack in Ms. Tafoya’s bid to win a Senate seat in a state that hasn’t elected a Republican senator since 2002.
Ms. Flanagan sought to deflect responsibility for the fraud by arguing that Mr. Walz, who is leaving office, had taken the lead in responding to the problem. And she sought to portray Ms. Tafoya as beholden to President Trump and his agenda.
Ms. Flanagan criticized Ms. Tafoya’s support for the war in Iran after her opponent suggested in March that Americans forgo trips to Starbucks to compensate for the rising cost of fuel caused by the conflict.
As Democrats were bullish about winning races in traditionally Republican areas during the final weeks of the midterm campaign, polls suggested that the Minnesota Senate race was close.
Political observers attributed that in part to Ms. Tafoya’s relatively moderate stances on issues such as abortion rights and the deep frustration among Minnesotans about rising taxes and fraud.
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