2026年4月17日 美国东部时间7:30 / 福克斯新闻
美国共和党参议院全国委员会与众议院多数党党鞭认为，弗拉纳根的参选记录相比安吉·克雷格众议员，在2026年的竞选中更容易被攻击
作者：利奥·布里塞尼奥，福克斯新闻
发布于2026年4月17日 美国东部时间7:30am | 更新于2026年4月17日 美国东部时间7:32am
明尼苏达州副州长佩吉·弗拉纳根参观卡梅尔索马里市场。（图片来源：索马里电视台明尼苏达分社）
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共和党战略家与议员们希望，在11月选民前往投票站选举明尼苏达州下一任联邦参议员时，他们只能在共和党候选人与明尼苏达州副州长佩吉·弗拉纳根之间做出选择。
在尚未决出结果的民主党初选中，众议院多数党党鞭、明尼苏达州共和党众议员汤姆·埃默认为，相比克雷格，弗拉纳根会让共和党人拥有更高的胜选概率。
“极左翼势力正在彻底颠覆民主党，明尼阿波利斯那帮疯狂的马克思主义无政府主义团体就是代表，尤其是在初选阶段，”埃默在接受当地媒体采访时表示。
“好好想想这个情况：安吉·克雷格手握巨额竞选资金，但她清楚自己面对这位激进、疯狂、不切实际的现任副州长佩吉·弗拉纳根时支持率低迷。那么猜猜谁会出现在初选中？是明尼阿波利斯来的所有极端分子。”
【前NFL记者宣布参选共和党参议员席位，透露将如何扭转该州“领导力危机”】
明尼苏达州副州长、联邦参议员候选人佩吉·弗拉纳根（左）与她的民主党挑战者、明尼苏达州民主党众议员安吉·克雷格（右）合影。（汤姆·威廉姆斯/CQ-罗尔报，盖蒂图片社；大卫·伯丁/盖蒂图片社）
“佩吉·弗拉纳根很可能会成为民主党候选人，这对我们来说是好事，”埃默说。
这一判断并非埃默独有。
明尼苏达州联邦参议员蒂娜·史密斯于去年2月宣布不会在2026年寻求连任，由此引发了一场四党参议员初选。
除了克雷格和弗拉纳根，反建制活动家比利·诺德以及明尼苏达州参议院前少数党领袖梅利莎·洛佩斯·弗兰岑也宣布参选。但没过多久，克雷格和弗拉纳根就成为了明显的领跑者。
根据联邦选举委员会（FEC）的记录，曾担任记者、商人的现任四届联邦众议员克雷格手中握有480万美元竞选资金。
担任明尼苏达州副州长七年的弗拉纳根手中有110万美元竞选资金。
诺德未向联邦选举委员会申报竞选捐款，洛佩斯则于去年5月退出了竞选。
【关键民主党参议员初选参选人称对莱肯·赖利法案投票“深感后悔”，引发共和党反弹】
明尼苏达州圣保罗市——2018年11月：明尼苏达州DFL（民主党-农民-工党）当选副州长佩吉·弗拉纳根与当选州长蒂姆·瓦尔兹抵达他们在州议会大厦的过渡办公室，2018年11月8日周四上午，明尼苏达州圣保罗市。（安东尼·苏弗莱/《明星论坛报》）
尽管共和党观察人士认为两位领跑者都可以被贴上“极左翼”标签，但许多人指出，弗拉纳根与更具争议性的知名民主党人立场相似——比如纽约市长佐赫兰·曼达尼，她还与州长蒂姆·瓦尔兹持相同立场，并称瓦尔兹是“令人难以置信的合作伙伴”。瓦尔兹在2024年副总统竞选失败期间，因其所有极左翼提案遭到猛烈抨击。
美国共和党参议院全国委员会认为，这正是共和党人的优势所在。
“她也支持《全民医保》法案，想要‘重新构想’警务模式，还参加了反移民海关执法局的抗议活动，并呼吁人们‘挺身而出’为非法移民对抗ICE，”共和党参议院全国委员会在一份新闻稿中表示。
更值得注意的是，共和党人认为弗拉纳根最大的软肋在于，她的任期与近期曝光的明尼苏达州政府福利项目高达90亿美元的欺诈丑闻重叠。
通过数十起诈骗计划，明尼苏达州的欺诈者据称从日托中心和医疗诊所等政府项目中挪用资金，未提供任何实际福利，夸大服务规模并将政府拨款据为己有。
这起欺诈丑闻去年登上全国新闻头条，引发了人们对州领导层为何未能察觉如此大规模损失的质疑。
明尼苏达州DFL党主席迈克·厄兰森告诉《明尼苏达明星论坛报》，他认为欺诈问题将始终是选民关注的焦点。
“我认为到11月，这个问题肯定还会被反复讨论。任何与此相关的人，无论是议员还是副州长弗拉纳根，如果她获得提名，都必须就此作出解释，”厄兰森说。
共和党参议院全国委员会主席、南卡罗来纳州联邦参议员蒂姆·斯科特也表达了同样的观点。
“从纵容数十亿美元的欺诈到诋毁执法，瓦尔兹-弗拉纳根政府辜负了明尼苏达州民众，”斯科特在X平台上发文称。
就弗拉纳根本人而言，她的竞选团队告诉福克斯新闻数字频道，她相信自己在大选中有获胜机会，并指出明尼苏达州长期以来一直是民主党铁票仓，此前已连续多届选出民主党联邦参议员。
“明尼苏达州已有20多年没有在全州范围内选举共和党人了——再加上特朗普入主白宫以及ICE给明尼苏达州民众带来的混乱，今年不会是克雷格或共和党人的胜利之年，”弗拉纳根竞选团队发言人亚历山德拉·费蒂索夫说。
“佩吉·弗拉纳根是这场竞选中唯一赢得过全州选举的候选人，唯一不接受企业捐款的候选人，也是唯一没有纵容特朗普政府ICE政策的候选人。明尼苏达州民众了解佩吉，信任她的领导能力，这就是她将成为明尼苏达州下一任联邦参议员的原因。”
【米歇尔·塔福娅称明尼苏达州需要一位“有骨气”的政治 outsiders 参选共和党参议员席位】
明尼苏达州圣保罗市——2022年6月：明尼苏达州DFL（民主党-农民-工党）副州长佩吉·弗拉纳根在新闻发布会上发言，2022年6月25日周六，明尼苏达州圣保罗市。美国参议员艾米·克洛布查尔和蒂娜·史密斯与州长蒂姆·瓦尔兹和副州长佩吉·弗拉纳根一同在州议会大厦参加新闻发布会，此前一天美国最高法院推翻了罗伊诉韦德案，北美中部地区计划生育组织首席执行官兼总裁莎拉·斯托伊茨也出席了此次活动。（亚伦·拉文斯基/《明星论坛报》）
【点击此处下载福克斯新闻APP】
当被问及是否坚持自己对明尼苏达州初选的评论时，埃默表示，无论民主党最终提名谁，共和党都将展开一场有竞争力的竞选。
“明尼苏达州民众会拒绝这两位极左翼、纵容欺诈的激进分子，他们只会让明尼苏达州陷入比现在更深的困境。祝弗拉纳根和克雷格好运，她们还在拼命争取那些仇视警察、支持开放边境的极端主义基础选民，同时疏远了通情达理的明尼苏达州民众，”埃默说。
克雷格与弗拉纳根将于8月11日展开初选对决。福克斯新闻数字频道已联系克雷格征求评论。
利奥·布里塞尼奥是福克斯新闻数字频道国会团队的政治记者，此前曾任职于《世界杂志》。
Minnesota Republicans reveal which far-left candidate they want to challenge in open Senate race
April 17, 2026 7:30am EDT / Fox News
The NRSC and House Majority Whip believe Flanagan’s record makes her more vulnerable than Rep. Angie Craig in 2026 race
By Leo Briceno, Fox News
Published April 17, 2026 7:30am EDT | Updated April 17, 2026 7:32am EDT
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan visited the Karmel Somali market. (Credit: Somali TV Minnesota)
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Republican strategists and lawmakers are hoping that when voters head to the polls in November to elect the next U.S. Senator of Minnesota, they’ll be forced to choose between either a Republican candidate — or Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.
In a Democratic primary that has yet to play out, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., believes Flanagan would give Republicans better odds than her opponent, Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn.
“You’ve got the radical Left that is really upending the party. It’s that crazy Marxist anarchist group that is in Minneapolis, especially with a primary,” Emmer said in an interview with local media.
“Think about this. You’ve got Angie Craig, who will have all the money. But she knows that her numbers are in the tank against this radical, wild, wild-eyed Peggy Flanagan, the current lieutenant governor. So, guess who shows up [to the primary]? All the crazies from Minneapolis.”
EX-NFL REPORTER LAUNCHES GOP SENATE BID, REVEALS HOW SHE WILL FLIP SCRIPT ON STATE’S ‘CRISIS OF LEADERSHIP’
Minnesota Lt. Gov. and candidate for U.S. Senate Peggy Flanagan, left, pictured alongside her Democratic challenger Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., right.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; David Berding/Getty Images)
“Peggy Flanagan is likely going to be their candidate, and that is good for us,” Emmer said.
The assessment isn’t unique to Emmer.
The Democratic race began in February of last year when Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., sparked a four-way Democratic primary with news that she would not pursue reelection in 2026.
In addition to Craig and Flanagan, Billy Nord, an anti-establishment activist, and Melisa López Franzen, a former minority leader of the Minnesota Senate, announced bids for the seat. But it didn’t take long for Craig and Flanagan to emerge as the clear-cut frontrunners.
Craig, a former journalist, businesswoman and a current four-term U.S. congresswoman, has $4.8 million in cash on hand, according to FEC records.
Flanagan, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor for the past seven years, has $1.1 million cash on hand.
Nord has not reported contributions with the FEC and López dropped out of the race in May of last year.
DEMOCRAT IN KEY SENATE PRIMARY SAYS SHE ‘REGRETS’ VOTE ON LAKEN RILEY ACT, DRAWS GOP BACKLASH
ST. PAUL, MN. – NOVEMBER 2018: Minnesota DFL (Democratic-Farmer-Laborer Party) Lieutenant Governor-elect Peggy Flanagan and Governor-elect Tim Walz arrived at their transition offices in the State Capitol Thursday morning, November 8, 2018, in St. Paul, Minn.(Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune)
While Republican onlookers believe both frontrunners can be described as “far-left,” many have pointed out Flanagan shares platform similarities with more polarizing, high-profile Democrats — such as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and has shared the same platform as Gov. Tim Walz, who she has called an “incredible partner.” Walz was hammered during his failed 2024 vice presidential bid for all of his far-left proposals.
In the view of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, that makes for a Republican advantage.
“She, too, supports Medicare for All, wants to ‘re-imagine’ policing and attended anti-ICE protests where she called on people to “put their bodies on the line” to defend illegal immigrants from ICE,” the NRSC said in a press release.
More notably, Republicans believe Flanagan’s greatest liability is a tenure that overlaps with recent revelations of up to $9 billion in fraud through government benefit programs.
Through scores of schemes, fraudsters in Minnesota allegedly siphoned funding from government programs like daycare centers and health clinics while returning no benefits, greatly exaggerating their services and pocketing government funding.
The fraud revelations made national news last year, raising questions about how state leadership could have missed the sheer size of the losses.
DFL party Chair Mike Erlandson told the Minnesota Star Tribune he believes fraud will remain front-and-center in the minds of voters.
“I don’t think there’s any way that this issue isn’t still being talked about in November. And anybody that was a party to it, whether you’re a legislator or Lt. Gov. Flanagan, if she’s the nominee, is going to have to answer questions around it,” Erlandson said.
NRSC Chairman Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., echoed that sentiment.
“From allowing billions of dollars in fraud to vilifying law enforcement, the Walz-Flanagan administration has failed Minnesotans,” Scott wrote in a post to X.
For her own part, Flanagan’s campaign told Fox News Digital she likes her chances to win in a general election, pointing to Minnesota’s solidly-blue track record of sending Democrats to the U.S. Senate.
“Minnesota hasn’t voted for a Republican statewide in over 20 years – with Trump in the White House and the chaos ICE inflicted on Minnesotans, this is not going to be Craig’s or the GOP’s year,” Alexandra Fetissoff, a Flanagan campaign spokeswoman, said.
“Peggy Flanagan is the only candidate in this race who has won statewide, the only candidate not taking corporate money and the only candidate that hasn’t enabled Trump’s ICE. Minnesotans know Peggy and trust her leadership and that’s why she’ll be the next Senator from Minnesota.”
MICHELE TAFOYA SAYS MINNESOTA NEEDS POLITICAL OUTSIDER ‘WITH A SPINE’ IN REPUBLICAN SENATE BID
ST. PAUL, MN. – JUNE 2022: Minnesota DFL (Democratic-Farmer-Laborer Party) Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan speaks during a press conference Saturday, June 25, 2022 in St. Paul, Minn. U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith joined Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan at the State Capitol for a Press Conference with Planned Parenthood North Central States CEO and President Sarah Stoesz a day after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade.(Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune)
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When asked if he stood by his comments on the Minnesota primary, Emmer said he believes Republicans will run a competitive race, regardless of the Democratic nominee.
“Minnesotans will reject both of these far-left, fraud-enabling radicals who would only dig our state into an even deeper hole than it’s already in. Good luck to Flanagan and Craig as they continue fighting tooth and nail to win over the cop hating, open-border extremist base while alienating commonsense Minnesotans,” Emmer said.
Craig and Flanagan will face off in the primary on Aug. 11. Fox News Digital reached out to Craig for comment.
Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.