The Democrat calls her opponent

The arrival of immigration agents in Minneapolis by President Donald Trump and the shooting by an ICE officer of a civilian there have exploded the already existing ideological divide in the Democratic primary for Minnesota’s US Senate seat, turning the race sharply negative.

Progressive Senate hopeful Peggy Flanagan, the state’s lieutenant governor, accused her moderate opponent, Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), of changing her tune on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement amid furor over the agency’s often violent tactics.

“This Senate race is a fundamental question of whether we are going to have a United States senator who sticks to his values ​​and truths, or someone who votes with the Republicans and Donald Trump when it is politically expedient,” Flanagan said in an interview with News themezone. “I can tell you which side I’m on.”

Meanwhile, Craig, who has long represented a swing district outside Minneapolis, called Flanagan’s attacks “disgusting” and said he should focus on rolling back the surge of immigration agents in the state and bringing criminals who committed fraud to justice.

“I would advise the lieutenant governor to join me in this fight against the Trump administration and this illegal thug group of ICE agents in Minnesota, rather than taking this opportunity to attack a fellow Democrat,” Craig told News themezone.

“What he’s doing now sounds like it’s right out of the MAGA playbook and, frankly, it pisses me off,” the lawmaker added.

AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt

Democrats need to hold on to the seat held by outgoing Sen. Tina Smith to have any chance of winning the Senate in 2026. Minnesota’s overall Democratic tilt and growing backlash to Trump’s unpopular presidency should help whoever wins the nomination, but Republicans are happily looking for opportunities to capitalize on divisions within the party.

Last January, Craig voted in favor of the Laken Riley Act, which gave Trump new powers to detain immigrants accused of crimes. In June, he joined 74 other Democrats in voting for a Republican resolution condemning anti-Semitism following an attack on Israel supporters in Colorado and also expressed gratitude to ICE and other law enforcement officials amid Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles.

Flanagan has pointed to both votes as reasons why Craig should not be trusted with the Senate nomination.

Craig called the ICE resolution a “gotcha” measure designed to divide Democrats. However, he said he voted in favor to send a message of opposition to the rise of anti-Semitism across the country.

“You make tough decisions about these Republican bills every day when you’re in service,” he said. “So I would ask: would the lieutenant governor have voted against a resolution to condemn anti-Semitism?” (The majority of the House Democratic caucus voted against the resolution.)

AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File

However, Craig has taken a much stronger stance against ICE since last summer, including demanding that its agents leave the state he represents and helping to file articles of impeachment against the woman who oversees the agency, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. To underline his point, he held up a cardboard. sign at a campaign event over the weekend that simply said, “Impeach Kristi Noem.”

Over the weekend, Craig attempted to enter an ICE detention center with other Minnesota House Democrats outside Minneapolis, but was blocked by DHS officials. This was followed by a heated confrontation with House Majority Leader Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) last week in which the two lawmakers got into a shouting match on the House floor over Good’s shooting and Emmer’s support for ICE.

The accusations of political expediency against Craig illustrate how navigating the Trump era — and Americans’ rapidly changing views on immigration enforcement, from a desire for a strong crackdown in 2024 to revulsion at ICE tactics today — could prove difficult for moderate Democrats hoping to win party primaries dominated by an electorate that loathes everything the president touches.

And it’s not just in Minnesota. Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s Democratic campaign for Senate similarly attacked one of her primary opponents, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, for his vote expressing “gratitude” toward ICE last year.

Republicans see immigration and the Minnesota welfare fraud scandal as two issues that can help them win a Senate seat in the state, something they have been unable to do since former Sen. Norm Coleman narrowly won his Senate bid in 2002. The party has begun to unite behind Michele Tafoya, a former ‘Monday Night Football’ sideline reporter who resigned to launch a career as a conservative news personality, as their candidate in the state.

On Monday, the Senate’s 53 Republicans sent a letter to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), pressing him for more information about fraud allegations involving federal child care funds in his state. Walz recently abandoned his campaign for a third term to address the issue.

Flanagan, as Walz’s lieutenant, will likely face similar questions if he wins the Senate Democratic primary. When asked if that worried him, Flanagan called the fraud “completely unacceptable” and referred to Walz’s efforts to bring criminals to justice.

“The governor has said the responsibility is his and he’s also said, you know, he’s really taken the lead here,” she told News themezone.

But Craig warned that the scandal could put the Senate seat at risk if Flanagan becomes the nominee.

“She is the second highest-ranking official in state government, and instead of taking any responsibility, she has actually been criticizing Governor Walz every time she gets a question about fraud,” he said. “It’s going to be an important issue in the race for his goal in the Senate.”

Neither candidate has supported abolishing ICE, a movement that became popular among progressives during Trump’s first term. Flanagan suggested instead a “complete and total overhaul” of the agency. Both Democrats also agree to withhold funding for ICE ahead of the Jan. 31 appropriations deadline in Congress.

“We should not fund an agency that is causing so much chaos, terror and pain, especially now that someone has lost their life,” Flanagan insisted to News themezone.

Describing how her 78-year-old aunt was recently “forced off the road” and “surrounded” by ICE agents in her vehicle, Flanagan said, “This is an entity that is making us all less safe.”

The two Democrats have a long fight ahead of them. Minnesota voters won’t go to the polls to determine their Senate candidate for another six months.