Angie Craig to run for U.S. Senate in Minnesota

State of play: Craig, a moderate Democrat who has served four terms in Congress representing a suburban swing district, is expected to be one of the most prominent — and well-funded — candidates vying to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Tina Smith in 2026.

• Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who signaled her plans to run the day Smith announced her retirement, already has statewide name ID from running alongside Gov. Tim Walz and endorsements from leading progressives such as former U.S. Sen. Al Franken and Attorney General Keith Ellison.
• Former Senate DFL Leader Melisa López Franzen, meanwhile, is running as a fiscal moderate who also fights for education and affordable healthcare.

Royce White, the GOP's 2024 U.S. Senate nominee, and Adam Schwarze are running on the Republican side.

• Several other established Republicans, including state Sen. Julia Coleman, have said they are considering bids.

What to expect: The "once in a generation" opportunity to win an open U.S. Senate seat will likely fuel a "competitive, very bruising" DFL primary battle between "A-level talent across the ideological spectrum," Abou Amara, a DFL lawyer and political analyst, told Axios.

The intrigue: While the candidates may ultimately differ on some issues, such as taxes or policing, Amara said he expects the contrast between the DFL contenders' "different life experiences" to more significantly shape the campaign over the next 18 months.

Case in point: Craig, a former medical device company executive who pivoted to politics in her 40s, has "a storied background in corporate America and economic development" that's influenced her "pragmatic" approach to bipartisan governing, Amara noted.

• Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe who came up as a political organizer, school board member and state legislator, brings to the table a "background in Native country and really experiencing systems in problematic ways."
• López Franzen is a former legislator, consulting firm owner and University of Minnesota lobbyist who would make history as the first Puerto Rican elected to the U.S. Senate.

Between the lines: All three candidates are already anchoring their campaigns on kitchen table issues and the impact President Trump's policies could have on working families.

• And both Craig and Flanagan talk openly about how being raised by single mothers who struggled financially at times has influenced their personal politics.

Follow the money: A winning campaign will likely need to raise north of $10 million.

• Craig enters the race with a significant cash advantage, thanks to a $1 million war chest in her U.S. House campaign account.
• That's more than double what the other candidates reported as of the end of the first quarter.

Zoom in: Craig's announcement comes just days after she wrapped a weeklong "town hall" tour across Minnesota that included stops in GOP-held congressional districts.

• She nodded to that approach in a statement and video announcing her campaign, saying she's "hitting the road to listen" to residents because "Washington's not listening."

Zoom out: Craig, who serves as ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, joins a growing number of U.S. representatives leaving their seats to seek higher offices in 2026.

What's next: The candidates will vie for the DFL's endorsement next spring ahead of an August 2026 primary.

What we're watching: Craig's move also creates an open race for the state's most competitive U.S. House seat: the south metro's 2nd Congressional District.

• She won re-election by 13 points in 2024, but it was decided by much closer margins in previous elections.

The bottom line: While an open seat could make the U.S. Senate seat more competitive in next year's November midterm, Democrats have dominated Minnesota's statewide elections for two decades.

• Election forecaster Cook Political Report rates the race as "lean Democrat."