Democrats Send First Native Woman to Senate as They Win Another Seat

Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan defeated Republican candidate Michele Tafoya in Minnesota’s Senate race.Flanagan has defeated Tafoya 54–43 percent, with 72 percent of votes counted.Flanagan will replace Democratic Senator Tina Smith, making her the first Native woman in the U.S. Senate. Flanagan has served as Minnesota’s lieutenant governor since 2018, making her the highest-ranking Native American elected to executive office, according to her official bio.Tafoya, a former sportscaster, targeted Flanagan for serving under Governor Tim Walz, who has been accused by Republicans of overseeing sweeping, systemic social services fraud. In reality, the right-wing fervor over fraud allegations in Minnesota is a fabrication designed to punish Democrats and antagonize immigrants. The state has previously investigated and prosecuted improper payments to childcare services, as well as unrelated high-profile fraud prosecutions involving other Minnesota social services. Similar accusations made by the Trump administration have already been debunked. The two candidates also sparred over Operation Metro Surge, the sweeping immigration enforcement operation that tore apart communities across their state—and claimed the lives of two U.S. citizens. Tafoya had placed the blame on Walz for refusing to coordinate local and state agencies with federal law enforcement, while Flanagan argued for dismantling ICE altogether.Tafoya’s defeat gives Democrats an even greater majority in the Senate.Read more about Minnesota:It’s official: Blexas is here. In a shocking upset, both Republican Governor Greg Abbott and former Attorney General Ken Paxton were ousted by Democratic challengers Tuesday. Gina Hinojosa was elected the first Democratic governor of Texas in more than three decades on Tuesday, ousting Abbott, the Republican incumbent, who outspent her by tens of millions of dollars. Hinojosa’s victory makes her the state’s first Hispanic governor. Meanwhile, James Talarico beat embattled Republican Ken Paxton, becoming the state’s first Democratic senator in 33 years. Talarico’s victory helped to push Democrats to retake control of the U.S. Senate.Hinojosa and Talarico have won a state that President Donald Trump won by 56 percent just two years ago.Democrats have retaken control of the Senate, loosening President Donald Trump’s control on the government.As of this writing, the Democrats hold 51 seats to Republicans’ 39. Democrats flipped six seats from Republicans this election. There are still 10 seats left to be called. Democrats have also taken control of the House of Representatives.Ahead of the midterm elections Tuesday, Republicans held 53 Senate seats to Democrats’ 45, after gaining control of the Senate in a major upset in 2024. Recent polling suggested that the most critical toss-up Senate races would be extremely tight. While America’s authoritarian era likely won’t end in a day, the results of the Senate midterm elections are a searing indictment of Republicans’ rule and the first two years of Trump’s second term.Read more about the Senate:Iowa Democratic state Representative Josh Turek won his state’s Senate race Tuesday, defeating Republican Representative Ashley Hinson. Turek beat Hinson with 51–45, at 79 percent reporting, according to Decision Desk HQ. He will replace retiring GOP Senator Joni Ernst. Democrats have not won a Senate race in Iowa since 2008. Turek’s victory pushed Democrats closer to regaining control of the U.S. Senate.Hinson, a Republican, widely supports President Donald Trump’s political agenda. Over the weekend, Trump campaigned in support of Hinson, where he ranted about her weight loss. Kansans have just elected a Democratic senator for the first time since 1932. Pastor Adam Hamilton beat incumbent Senator Roger Marshall 53–44, Decision Desk HQ reported, with 83 percent of votes counted.Hamiton’s stunning upset happened in large part thanks to President Trump and the GOP’s record unpopularity. It didn’t hurt that Marshall, a doctor before entering politics, was haunted by his record of suing patients who couldn’t pay their medical bills, sometimes for as little as $101. Marshall’s low poll numbers had prompted Trump and Vice President JD Vance to campaign for him in the state, which may have hurt his chances even further. Marshall tried to distance himself from some of Trump’s more unpopular policies, criticizing ICE agents in September, but it wasn’t enough. Marshall’s campaign had other missteps, like when he used unapproved pictures of children in an attack ad against Hamilton. Trump also used an antisemitic slur to defend Marshall against the attacks on his patient lawsuits only two weeks before the election. Ultimately, Hamilton’s moral message won out. At a debate with Marshall in September, the pastor said, “There are 2,000 verses in the Bible that speak to caring for the poor. That is not happening with this man.” Hamilton will join Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock, who was previously the only other Democratic pastor in the Senate.