Sen. Bernie Sanders is diving into another high-stakes Democratic primary — this time in Minnesota — by endorsing Peggy Flanagan for the U.S. Senate.
At 84, the Vermont independent and avowed Democratic socialist shows no signs of slowing down in his quest to steer the party further left.
Ms. Flanagan, who has served as Minnesota lieutenant governor since 2019, is the latest to join Mr. Sanders’ roster of left-wing Senate candidates, which also includes Graham Planter, an oyster farmer and former Marine, in Maine and Abdul El-Sayed, a physician, in Michigan.
“Today I am proud to endorse Peggy Flanagan for United States Senate in Minnesota,” Mr. Sanders said. “Peggy’s got the guts to stand up for working people against the billionaires and the corporate interests.”
“Peggy knows what it is to struggle,” he said. “She was raised by a hard-working single mom who relied on SNAP to put food on the table and Medicaid for health care. And she’s spent her career fighting for working families.”
The winner of the Minnesota Senate race will replace Sen. Tina Smith, who announced in February that she would not seek reelection. Democrats are favored to defend, while Republicans are holding out hope that Minnesota is within striking distance.
Rep. Angie Craig, who has represented Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District since 2019, is also running for the party’s primary.
Senate Democratic leader Charles E. Schumer of New York, who is up for reelection in 2028, has lined up against Mr. Sanders in the Maine Senate race by backing the party’s establishment candidate, Gov. Janet Mills.
New York Magazine also reported Mr. Schumer privately favors Ms. Craig in the Minnesota race.
Mr. Schumer has stayed out of the Democratic primary in Michigan, which also features Rep. Haley Stevens, the 11th Congressional District’s incumbent, and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow.
Though Mr. Sanders previously hinted that this Senate term would be his last, he’s filed to run again in 2030, another sign that he might not be done shaking up the system.
His influence was felt earlier this year when he endorsed Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor, giving the Democratic socialist a boost ahead of the June Democratic primary. Mr. Mamdani’s win rattled the political establishment, which is still coming to grips with his dramatic rise, and energized the party’s left wing ahead of the 2026 midterms.
On the flip side, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger and Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s landslide wins in their respective Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial elections signaled that the electorate also has an appetite for candidates running as pragmatic problem-solvers who can cut through the partisan chaos.
In other words, the off-year elections provided arguments in favor of various factions in the Democratic Party that face off next year in high-profile primary races.
Meanwhile, Mr. Sanders has been calling for reinforcements in Washington, where he now finds himself on the losing side of a Capitol Hill shutdown showdown.
Eight Senate Democrats crossed the aisle to help Republicans advance a temporary spending bill to reopen the government without winning the Democrats’ chief demand of continuing COVID-era expanded Obamacare subsidies that expire this year.
“This was a very, very bad vote,” Mr. Sanders said bluntly in a video posted on social media.
Reflecting on the recent election, Mr. Sanders argued that voters sent a clear message: “They wanted us to stand up against Trumpism — to his war against working class people, to his authoritarianism.”
“That is what the American people wanted, but tonight that is not what happened,” he said.
Looking forward, Mr. Mamdani’s big win and Mr. Schumer’s failure to keep his caucus united in the shutdown fight will likely stir more speculation about a possible 2028 primary challenge from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 36-year-old Sanders acolyte.
Over the summer, Mr. Sanders and Ms. Ocasio-Cortez hit the road together for their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, drawing massive crowds and offering a moment of hope for progressives still reeling from President Trump’s reelection.
