Overview
- About 1,000 people packed First Avenue on July 20 for a rally where Sanders formally endorsed Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and urged supporters to organize and vote early.
- Sen. Tina Smith, Rep. Ilhan Omar and Attorney General Keith Ellison also spoke, framing the contest as a fight between grassroots activists and big-money interests.
- Craig holds a roughly two-to-one fundraising edge, reporting about $12 million to Flanagan’s $6 million through June 30 and drawing millions more in outside ad spending.
- Flanagan ran through a bold progressive agenda including Medicare for All and abolishing ICE while casting Craig’s outside support as a liability and criticizing Craig’s past Laken Riley Act vote, which Craig says she regrets.
- With three weeks until Aug. 11, both campaigns are racing to turn endorsements, messaging and independent spending into turnout that will decide a seat that could shift the Senate Democratic caucus left.