KSTP said it will host primetime statewide debates on October 2 for governor, U.S. Senate and attorney general, and that Michele Tafoya, the Republican Senate nominee, Lisa Demuth and Ron Schutz had confirmed plans to appear; Peggy Flanagan was not among those listed as confirmed. The station reported there were no mutually agreed televised debates in any statewide Minnesota race as of September 22, four days after early voting began. Larry Jacobs of the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School said each debate decision came down to "Strategy. Who is it going to help. Who is it going to hurt?"
Early voting in Minnesota began September 18; the 2022 governor's race had two debates.
A KSTP/SurveyUSA poll released this week showed Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Republican Michele Tafoya essentially tied in the Minnesota Senate race, with 12 percent of voters undecided and 4 percent supporting other candidates; the same poll a month earlier had Flanagan up 5 points. The poll was released days before Minnesota early voting begins. Flanagan led among moderate voters by 15 points, with 17 percent of that group undecided.
The prior KSTP/SurveyUSA poll was taken after the August 11 primary.
CBS News Minnesota · on Republican response to the Flanagan-Tafoya Senate matchup
CBS reported Minnesota Republicans expressed optimism about the general election after Michele Tafoya's primary win, with conservative Star Tribune columnist Andy Brehm saying, "Finally, Minnesota Republicans nominate winners." Tafoya said she is "not running to answer to party bosses, or to lobbyists or to special interests, or even to a president." In the primary, 211,000 voters cast ballots for Tafoya against 411,000 for Peggy Flanagan.
Minnesota has not elected a Republican to statewide office since 2006.
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan defeated Rep. Angie Craig for Minnesota's Democratic U.S. Senate nomination; the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported the result at 60%-40% with 96 percent of votes counted. NPR reported that Flanagan had endorsements from Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, while Craig had a fundraising advantage and endorsements including Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Tammy Baldwin. Flanagan faces Republican Michele Tafoya, who won her primary the same night, in November.
Sanders said in an August 9 post that super PACs and billionaires were spending $20 million in Minnesota to defeat Flanagan.