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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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Democrat Peggy Flanagan and Republican Michele Tafoya are issuing their final messages to voters in Minnesota's Senate race, with both candidates urging support in the closing days of a midterm election.
Several key Senate races are unfolding this year that will determine control of Congress. Republicans seek to defend their House and Senate majorities and Democrats look to capitalize on competitive races that could flip control of both chambers in their favor. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to win control of the Senate and a net gain of three seats to win control of the House.
While Minnesota has long been considered a Democratic stronghold, Tafoya has gained ground during this election cycle. Corruption has emerged as a key issue for voters, with both candidates using it as a line of attack. Flanagan has centered much of her messaging on allegations of corruption tied to President Donald Trump, while Tafoya has sought to link Flanagan to controversies that have occurred during her tenure as lieutenant governor under Governor Tim Walz.
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Tafoya again used that line of messaging in a post on X on Friday with only four days left to go until the election.
"Peggy Flanagan and Tim Walz are either complicit or they are clueless," Tafoya wrote on X. "The fraud keeps unfolding, with more fake businesses and bogus organizations exposed every month. Peggy Flanagan can’t run away from it, because Minnesotans want answers from everyone who was in charge. No one is above the law in our state."
Meanwhile, Flanagan doubled down on her attacks against Trump and urged voters to use their voice this election.
“This election is an opportunity to stand up for yourself, for your neighbors, and for our country. In a few short days, we will show Trump and his MAGA agenda what real power looks like: the power of the American people,” Flanagan told Newsweek in a statement on Friday afternoon. “America is a work in progress. It always has been. It’s now up to us to choose to move forward and elect leaders who believe in progress and will stand up for what we believe in. Don’t give up your chance to use your voice.”
Tafoya's campaign did not respond to a request for comment sent on Friday afternoon.
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Peggy Flanagan vs. Michele Tafoya: Latest Polls
Recent polls show Flanagan leading Tafoya.
Most recently, the New York Times/Siena University poll surveyed 752 Minnesota voters between October 19 and 26. When asked who they would vote for in the November election, 54 percent of respondents said Flanagan, while only 40 percent said Tafoya. The poll is an outlier and gives Flanagan her largest lead over Tafoya yet, more than tripling her lead in most other polls.
Most other recent polls show Flanagan with a much narrower lead over Tafoya. For example, an InsiderAdvantage poll that surveyed 1,200 likely voters between September 28 and 29 found Flanagan had only a one-point lead over Tafoya at 46 percent to Tafoya's 45 percent.
A Quantus Insights poll of 720 likely voters between September 8 and 10 gave Flanagan a 4-point lead over Tafoya at 48 percent to Tafoya's 44 percent.
Why Minnesota Senate Race Matters in 2026 Elections
To control the Senate, Democrats need to gain four seats in the midterm election. However, a loss in Minnesota could set them back.
Minnesota had been thought to be a safe spot for Democrats, having last elected a Republican to the Senate in 2002. The state has voted for a Democratic president in every election since 1976. But, in this year's election cycle, Republicans are putting up a fight with Tafoya as their candidate.
"The Republicans have their best shot in 20 years at winning the state," Hamline University professor of political science and legal studies David Schultz previously told Newsweek. He credited the state's issues with corruption and "Democratic Party fatigue" as reasons why Republicans might secure a win. Schultz added that he would not be surprised if Tafoya won the election.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gray R. Thomas
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