Sleeper GOP candidate puts blue-leaning state in play as fraud scandal shadows Dems
- Fox News Power Rankings flips Minnesota Senate race from 'Likely Dem' to 'Lean Dem' after GOPer Michele Tafoya closes gap to just 4 points in new Star Tribune poll.
- Tafoya hammering Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan over the state's massive welfare fraud scandal — says 'second-in-charge' deserves a 'pink slip,' not a promotion, as Gov. Walz flees re-election.
- Tafoya leans into abortion rights support in new ad, prompting CPAC's Mercedes Schlapp to warn pro-life Republicans will 'stay home' — but Trump still issues last-minute endorsement from Ohio.
- Dem super PAC smacks back, calling the GOP push a 'desperate political ploy' while betting on Amy Klobuchar's gubernatorial coattails to drag Flanagan across the finish line.
- Tafoya unveils five-point plan to combat Somali gang violence in Twin Cities suburbs, accusing Flanagan of refusing to even 'name the problem.'
Brief Summary
In the frozen tundra of blue-state politics, a strange thaw has occurred: the GOP smells blood in Minnesota. Fox News' Power Rankings just nudged the Senate race from 'Likely Democrat' to 'Lean Democrat' after a poll showed retired NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya trailing Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan by a mere four points. It's a state Republicans haven't won a Senate race in since the Clinton administration, but hey, desperate times—and desperate scandals—call for desperate measures.
Why This Matters
Forget the pundit chatter; this race is now a live referendum on accountability. If Tafoya actually pulls this off, it sends a shiver through every Democratic statehouse where 'we didn't know' is the defense du jour for massive administrative failures. But don't book the victory party yet: Flanagan is banking on Amy Klobuchar's coattails and a reliable anti-Trump firewall to survive.