(The Center Square) – Hours after polls closed, the Minnesota U.S. Senate race and governor race have both been called for Democrats.
Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is leading Republican and former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya.
With 73% of precincts reporting at midnight, Flanagan is leading 55%-43%, with more than 2 million votes counted.
This comes as fraud, crime and the economy took center stage in the race between Tafoya and Flanagan.
Flanagan, who has served alongside Democrat Gov. Tim Walz since 2018, is running amid ongoing scrutiny of the Walz administration. She had called out Tafoya for being endorsed by President Donald Trump.
A Republican candidate had not won a U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota since 2002 and Tafoya hoped to be the first, labeling herself a political outsider.
On the governor side, Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar also won against Republican state House Speaker Lisa Demuth.
With 73% of precincts reporting at midnight, Klobuchar is leading 56%-42%, with more than 2 million votes counted.
Other statewide races remain uncalled across the state, though Democrats also lead in the attorney general, secretary of state, and auditor races.
Elyse Apel, a graduate of Hillsdale College, is a reporter for The Center Square covering Minnesota and Michigan. Her work has appeared in a range of national outlets, including the Washington Examiner, The American Spectator, and The Daily Wire.
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