WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
  • Michele Tafoya pressed Peggy Flanagan over fraud, crime, falling test scores, and Minnesota’s shift from a massive surplus to a deficit.
  • Flanagan said Gov. Tim Walz had oversight of the fraud and that the buck stopped with him.
  • Tafoya noted that the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association endorsed her rather than Flanagan.
  • Tafoya rejected Flanagan’s attempt to distance herself from the administration, telling her, “Sell it to someone else.”

Republicans have generally performed well in their midterm debates, repeatedly putting Democratic candidates on the defensive. Minnesota delivered another bruising example Friday when Republican Michele Tafoya faced Democrat Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in a Senate debate.

Other recent contests set the stage. Sen. Susan Collins defeated Maine Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson across four debates, while Republican Mike Rogers hammered Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and Bruce Blakeman bested New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The Minnesota race is expected to be close. Although Flanagan might ordinarily benefit from running as a Democrat in Minnesota, the massive fraud scandal that unfolded under the Walz and Flanagan administration has become a major burden.

Tafoya also entered the debate as an effective and well-spoken candidate. Flanagan previously released an advertisement intended to help her campaign, but the effort instead made her appear clueless about the issues confronting her.

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Tafoya performed strongly throughout the debate, including during an exchange about crime and law enforcement. She highlighted the support she received from the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association.

“She will not name the problem, and she talks about helping law enforcement. And I would reiterate, the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association has endorsed me, not my opponent.”

Tafoya also challenged Flanagan's claim that she was fully committed to making her case before Minnesota voters. She noted that Flanagan did not appear after KSTP invited her to participate and weigh in.

The sharpest exchange centered on fraud, which emerged as perhaps the biggest issue of Friday's debate. Tafoya directly connected Flanagan to the administration's record by emphasizing her position as second in command.

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“My opponent has been second in command in this state for eight years, drawing a taxpayer-funded paycheck. And what do we have to show for that?”

Tafoya then listed the problems she said Minnesota received in return. “We have massive fraud, historic fraud. We have test scores down.”

She continued pressing the administration's performance on crime and state finances. “We have crime spiking. We have a massive surplus turned into a deficit,” Tafoya said.

Flanagan was then asked what she had done about the fraud. Rather than claiming responsibility for overseeing the matter, she pointed directly toward Gov. Tim Walz.

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“The governor has been very clear that the buck stops with him,” Flanagan said. “He was the one who had oversight here.”

Flanagan instead cited the policy areas where she said she had taken the lead. “I've led on issues like paid family and medical leave, nation-leading child tax credit, making sure that kids get breakfast and lunch at school.”

That answer handed Tafoya an opening, and the Republican candidate took it. Tafoya said she would go to Washington as an “equal opportunity pain in the a**” for corrupt politicians, regardless of their political side.

Tafoya also accused Flanagan of repeatedly invoking President Donald Trump instead of answering for Minnesota's record. She reminded her opponent exactly who was seeking the Senate seat.

“Peggy, Donald Trump isn't on the ballot. You and I are on the ballot, and only one of us let $9 billion walk out the door to fraud.”

Tafoya dismissed the notion that Flanagan could suddenly reposition herself as a champion against fraud after serving in the administration for eight years. “To suggest that she somehow is going to be a fraud czar all of a sudden. Talk about changing tacts when it becomes politically expedient.”

She also criticized Flanagan for pointing toward Walz after previously demanding a place in the administration's decision-making. Tafoya closed that portion of her response with the debate's most memorable dismissal.

“Again, my goodness! Sell it to someone else.”

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The line captured the anger surrounding the Walz and Flanagan administration's record. Flanagan's effort to separate herself from the fraud collided with Tafoya's reminder that the lieutenant governor had spent eight years serving as Minnesota's second in command.

The debate left Flanagan facing serious questions about why voters should promote her to the Senate. Tafoya, meanwhile, kept the pressure fixed on fraud, crime, falling test scores, and the state's shift from a massive surplus to a deficit.

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