Bernie Sanders brought his progressive movement to Minnesota on Monday, July 20, firing up voters at First Avenue in Minneapolis ahead of the state’s August 11 Democratic primary for an open U.S. Senate seat. The Vermont senator headlined a rally for Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, drawing around 1,000 supporters in a show of force for her campaign against U.S. Representative Angie Craig.
Sanders gave an unequivocal endorsement of Flanagan, framing the race as a battle between corporate interests and working people. “What Peggy knows, what I know, these guys are finally going to start paying their fair share of taxes,” Sanders said, referring to billionaires. “We’re not going to let billionaires get richer and avoid taxes while people sleep out on the street and kids go hungry. That is going to change.”
The rally, titled “The Many Over the Money,” brought together a constellation of Democratic power in the state. U.S. Senator Tina Smith, who is retiring from the seat, joined Flanagan on stage alongside U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. The event underscored Flanagan’s strategy of positioning herself as the progressive choice against a more moderate rival.
Flanagan has leaned into her campaign’s core message: fighting against the influence of money in politics. “This campaign is about the money versus the many,” she told supporters. “I am part of the many. You are part of the many. I am betting on us.” The message has become central to her bid, as she faces a significant fundraising disadvantage—Craig has outraised her by two-to-one, bringing in $12 million in contributions since the start of the race to Flanagan’s $6 million through June 30, according to reporting from Minnesota Public Radio.
The Minnesota primary is one of several battlegrounds where Sanders is actively campaigning for progressive candidates. Along with Minnesota, he has endorsed candidates in Michigan and Maine, seeking to shift the Democratic caucus in the Senate further left. After two consecutive election cycles that left the party in the minority, Sanders views these races as crucial tests of whether progressives can win in contested terrain.
Flanagan won the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party endorsement in May, a significant show of party support. However, millions of dollars from outside groups backing Craig have flooded the race with television and digital ads, turning it into one of the most expensive primary contests in state history. Craig, a sitting congresswoman who flipped Minnesota’s most competitive district and has held it through multiple tough cycles, argues she brings proven results and electability against a well-funded Republican opponent in November.
The clash between Flanagan and Craig reflects a broader Democratic divide over strategy and ideology in the post-Trump era. Flanagan has called for Medicare for All, ending military aid to Israel, raising taxes on billionaires, and banning corporate campaign spending. Craig counters that Democrats need pragmatism and proven legislative success to win back voters in a divided nation. Sanders and his allies view Flanagan as the candidate who can push the party’s agenda further left, while Craig’s backers see her as the stronger general-election candidate.
Sanders’ decision to invest his political capital in Minnesota signals the state’s importance to the progressive movement’s 2026 strategy. The Minnesota primary will be decided just three weeks after Sanders’ rally, on August 11, when voters will choose between Flanagan’s bold progressive platform and Craig’s emphasis on results and electability.
Sources
- MPR News — Details of the July 20 rally at First Avenue, attendance figures, Sanders’ endorsement remarks, Flanagan’s campaign message, fundraising figures ($12 million for Craig, $6 million for Flanagan through June 30), and context on the primary race.
- Minnesota Reformer — Sanders’ remarks about progressives defeating establishment candidates, the “Many Over the Money” rally title, campaign platforms, fundraising comparison, and background on the contentious nature of the race.
- CBS News — Sanders’ statement on progressive candidates facing obstacles from massive spending in key races.
- Ballotpedia — Confirmation of primary date (August 11, 2026), candidate list, and DFL Party endorsement details for Flanagan.
- The New York Times — Background on Sanders’ broader 2026 endorsement strategy across multiple states.
