This story will be updated throughout the day.
ICT STAFF
UPDATED at 3:15 p.m. ET
Here are the results for all Minnesota candidates from Tuesday’s primary. Candidates won their primary and advance to November, or lost.
- NOVEMBER BALLOT: Peggy Flanagan, U.S. Senate — White Earth Nation
- LOST: Audrey Thayer, Bemidji City Council, At-Large — White Earth Nation
- LOST: Geri Lopez, Mahnomen County Commission, District 39 — White Earth Nation
- NOVEMBER BALLOT: Sheila Lamb, Mayor of Cloquet — Fond Du Lac Ojibwe & Cherokee
- LOST: Chris Jourdain, Red Lake Schools School Board, At-Large — Red Lake Nation
- LOST: Deanna Lasley, Red Lake Schools School Board, At-Large — Red Lake Nation
- LOST: Nicole Desjarlait, Red Lake Schools School Board, At-Large — Red Lake Nation
- NOVEMBER BALLOT: Shelley Buck, Minnesota House of Representatives, District 47A — Prairie Island Indian Community
- NOVEMBER BALLOT:Steve Green, Minnesota State Senate, District 2 — White Earth Nation
- NOVEMBER BALLOT:Alicia “Liish” Kozlowski, Minnesota House of Representatives, District 8B — Grand Portage & Fond Du Lac Bands of Ojibwe & Mexicana
- NOVEMBER BALLOT: Mary Kunesh-Podein, Minnesota State Senate, District 39 — Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
- NOVEMBER BALLOT:Jeannice Reding, Minnesota Fourth Judicial District Court, Position 57 — Stockbridge-Munsee
- WITHDREW: Heather Keeler, U.S. House of Representatives, District 7 — Yankton Sioux Tribe
— Kalle Benallie
UPDATED at 1:27 a.m. ET
ICT’s story on Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan’s win has the latest updates.
Come back to ictnews.org for updates on other Minnesota races and midterm elections.
UPDATED at 1:00 a.m. ET
Audrey Thayer, White Earth Nation, came 68 votes short of winning the primary for Bemidji City Council: At Large but will still move onto the general election as the top two vote getters advance to the November ballot.
In a Facebook post, Thayer thanked her supporters and expressed gratitude to the third place finisher, Grace Wilder.
“Many, many thank you’s to my family, my relatives, our community for taking me over the hump of the primary election by your vote. It is with great emotion to thank you for supporting me. Most importantly, l want to thank Grace Wilder for running for office. It takes much to step forward. Hoping to see her run again! I am utterly grateful,” Thayer’s post reads.
UPDATED at 12:23 a.m. ET
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren shared her congrats on social.
UPDATED at 12:19 a.m. ET
Flanagan is thanking a long list of people during her speech.
“And to everyone in Indian Country who has been lifting me up,” she said.
She tells the room, “We are not done yet.”
— Jourdan Bennett-Begaye
UPDATED at 12:12 a.m. ET
Peggy Flanagan is now giving her victory speech at the watch party.
— Jourdan Bennett-Begaye
UPDATED at 12:10 a.m. ET
Minutes before Peggy Flanagan’s race was called.
UPDATED on Aug. 12 at 12:06 a.m. ET
Peggy Flanagan shares her gratitude on social media.
UPDATED at 11:51 p.m. ET
Results so far for the nearly dozen of Native candidates running for office in Minnesota. Candidates either won and advances to November or lost.
- NOVEMBER BALLOT: Peggy Flanagan, U.S. Senate — White Earth Nation
- NOVEMBER BALLOT: Audrey Thayer, Bemidji City Council, At-Large — White Earth Nation
- LOST: Geri Lopez, Mahnomen County Commission, District 39 — White Earth Nation
- NOVEMBER: Sheila Lamb, Mayor of Cloquet — Fond Du Lac Ojibwe & Cherokee
- Chris Jourdain, Red Lake Schools School Board, At-Large — Red Lake Nation
- Deanna Lasley, Red Lake Schools School Board, At-Large — Red Lake Nation
- Nicole Desjarlait, Red Lake Schools School Board, At-Large — Red Lake Nation
- NOVEMBER BALLOT: Shelley Buck, Minnesota House of Representatives, District 47A — Prairie Island Indian Community
- NOVEMBER BALLOT:Steve Green, Minnesota State Senate, District 2 — White Earth Nation
- NOVEMBER BALLOT:Alicia “Liish” Kozlowski, Minnesota House of Representatives, District 8B — Grand Portage & Fond Du Lac Bands of Ojibwe & Mexicana
- NOVEMBER BALLOT: Mary Kunesh-Podein, Minnesota State Senate, District 39 — Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
- NOVEMBER BALLOT: Jeannice Reding, Minnesota Fourth Judicial District Court, Position 57 — Stockbridge-Munsee
- WITHDREW: Heather Keeler, U.S. House of Representatives, District 7 — Yankton Sioux Tribe
— Kalle Benallie
UPDATED at 11:340 p.m. ET
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is on her way to the general election. The AP called her race.
Stay tuned for updates from ICT on her speech. Make sure to follow ICT on Instagram and Facebook.
— Jourdan Bennett-Begaye
UPDATED at 11:25 p.m. ET
There are nearly a dozen Native candidates running for office in Minnesota. Here are the ones we have results for.
Steve Green,White Earth Nation, won uncontested in the Republican primary. He advances to the general election for Minnesota State Senate District 2. He will face Democrat Dan Rogers and Calvin Larson Jr. on November 3.
Alicia “Liish” Kozlowski, Grand Portage & Fond Du Lac Bands of Ojibwe & Mexicana, won uncontested in Democratic primary for Minnesota House of Representatives District 8B. They will face Republican Shawn Savela in November.
Mary Kunesh-Podein, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, won uncontested in the Democratic primary for Minnesota State Senate District 39. She will face Republican Pam Wolf and Green Party Ngone Saliou Niang in November.
Jeannice Reding, Stockbridge-Munsee, won uncontested in the Nonpartisan primary and will advance to the general election in November for Minnesota 4th District Court Position 57. Reding is the only candidate on the ballot.
— Kalle Benallie
UPDATED at 11:11 p.m. ET
ICT’s Amelia Schafer captures scenes at the Peggy Flanagan watch party in Minneapolis.
UPDATED at 11:00 p.m. ET
“This is what it looks like when you hold over 300 events statewide,” referencing a map of the state results so far, a Peggy Flanagan campaign staffer told ICT at the watch party.
— Amelia Schafer
UPDATED at 10:58 p.m. ET
More vote totals are coming being reported in Minnesota and with 1,929 of 4,105 precincts reporting, Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, White Earth Nation, is holding on to her early lead in the race for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate.
Flanagan polled 55 percent of the early vote against U.S. House Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, who grabbed 44 percent of the votes.
Each is vying to replace Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, who is retiring.
— Stewart Huntington
UPDATED at 10:55 p.m. ET
Native people are starting to post their memories with Peggy Flanagan over the years on social media. Rory Wheeler said he’s proud of her on Facebook.
“No matter where the road leads, she continues to make history and make us proud,” he wrote.
— Jourdan Bennett-Begaye
UPDATED at 10:53 p.m. ET
An effort in Minnesota is being made to get Native community members to vote.
“A lot of our Native American community has an inherent mistrust of government,” said Angela Two Stars, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, “But by not voting, you’re not giving your voice and having a say in issues that impact our Native people, like missing and murdered relatives, our climate issues, even like school support for Native American youth. All these issues are things that affect our Native community.”
Two Stars is the vice president of arts and culture at the Native American Community Development Institute on Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis. She is working to make voting a tradition in the large urban Native community in the Twin Cities.
“Making voting a tradition is a program of the Native American (institute) and it’s a civic engagement component of our work. And it is encouraging a familiarization and experience of voting in all elections, tribal elections, city elections, national elections, midterm elections, primary elections, all of it.”
But in Minneapolis this year there are headwinds.
“Minnesota just recently went through this major (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) occupation in January,” she told ICT. “We’re still dealing with the impacts of that and the fear that it generated. … We want to encourage our Native American voters to go out and vote.”
– Stewart Huntington
UPDATED at 10:45 p.m. ET
Rosetta Peters, Ihanktonwan and Hunkpati Oyate, and author of “The Seed Keeper” Diane Wilson, Mdewakanton, both wore their ribbon skirts and Ho-Chunk earrings to the Minnesota Democratic primary party on Aug. 11.
They were there for Peggy Flanagan.
“We’re hoping she’s making history tonight,” Wilson said. “There will be hope for a change.”
Peters said she admires who Flanagan is and what she fights for.
“It’s all people, all issues. She’s a force and her integrity and the way she moves through the world and her spirit,” Peters said.
— Amelia Schafer, contributed by Kalle Benallie
UPDATED at 10:38 p.m. ET
Amy Klobuchar is the Democratic nominee for the Minnesota governor race in November. AP called her race.
— Jourdan Bennett-Begaye
UPDATED at 10:29 p.m. ET
Minneapolis residents Richard Long and Aaron Swestka have lived in the city since 1982.
“We’re pretty habitual voters,” Swestka said. They try to vote at each primary and general election and have been doing it for decades.
Long said he voted Tuesday because of “the condition of the country.” Plus the close U.S. Senate race in Minnesota between Peggy Flanagan and Angie Craig. “And both of them are great,” he said. “It’s important to vote. You got to vote! We are able to vote so vote people!”
Long said he voted for Craig in the U.S. Senate race and Amy Klobuchar.
— Amelia Schafer, contributed by Jourdan Bennett-Begaye
UPDATED at 10:23 p.m. ET
Michele Tafoya is on her way to the general election as the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate race in Minnesota. The Associated Press called her race.
Amy Klobuchar will be the Democratic nominee in the Minnesota governor race, according to the AP.
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is ahead of Angie Craig with 52.3 percent of the votes as of 10:22 p.m. ET, according to the AP.
— Jourdan Bennett-Begaye
UPDATED at 10:15 p.m. ET
Polls are closed in Minnesota and the first results are trickling in. With 788 of 4,105 precincts reporting, Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, White Earth Nation, is off to an early lead in her race for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate.
Flanagan polled 52 percent of the early vote against U.S. House Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, who grabbed 46 percent of the votes.
Each is vying to replace Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, who is retiring.
— Stewart Huntington
UPDATED at 10:07 p.m. ET
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party knocked on 66,000 doors in August alone setting a new record, Peggy Flanagan’s campaign staff told ICT.
— Amelia Schafer
UPDATED at 9:45 p.m. ET
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, White Earth Nation, went to the polls June 26 in Minneapolis to cast a vote she hopes helps propel to the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate.
Speaking outside the Hennepin County Government Center before casting her vote she recounted some of her journey on the campaign trail.
“We’ve held over 250 events all across the state, having conversations with thousands of Minnesotans. And they’re pretty loud and clear about what they want. They want to be able to go to the doctor without worrying about the bill,” she said. “They want to be able to afford their rent or to buy a home. They want to be able to work one job and earn enough to build a good life.”
Flanagan is locked in a tight race for the nomination with U.S. House Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota. Each is vying to replace Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, who is retiring.
— Amelia Schafer, contributed by Stewart Huntington
UPDATED at 9:40 p.m. ET
Like many across the country, Gregory Good Man, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, said affordability and housing are a few of the biggest issues on his mind when he went to cast his vote.
“You know, prices in the country is going crazy. Everything is just getting outrageous, you know, price wise,” Good Man said. “Housing is a big issue here in Minneapolis and around the country.”
Good Man said he would love to see Flanagan in office and has known her since 2020, running into her at powwows and other places in Minneapolis
“Let’s get her into the Senate,” he said. “She has a great love for our people, that’s what I like. She’s very confident in her ability. You could just see that the way she’s generally a good person.”
Ultimately, Good Man is hopeful Flanagan comes out with the primary victory.
“I’m pretty sure she’s gonna win. All we can do is pray, you know, which we do quite a bit of,” Good Man said.
— Amelia Schafer, contributed by Kolby KickingWoman
UPDATED at 9:35 p.m. ET
MINNEAPOLIS — Kaiana Martinez, Ho-Chunk, wore her red “I voted” sticker recalling the names of who she voted for in Minnesota, including Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, White Earth.
The 24-year-old voted for Flanagan because of her stance of being “people over big companies” when it comes to donations, she said. She also liked how Flanagan was out in the communities during her campaign and said that’s something she likes to see in a candidate.
“In my youth it was really so easy to see people like you like Obama, AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic U.S. House member from New York). And having all of these people of color, even (New York Mayor Zohran) Mamdani right now,” she said. “I think it’ll bring people hope that there can be change in any community, any jurisdiction. That maybe she (Flanagan) will inspire other kids hopefully … It’ll make people see that their voice is being heard and that their votes count. I really do encourage everyone to vote because that is our voice if we want change, you have to go vote.”
Martinez said she usually thinks about a range of issues when she votes like Operation Metro Surge and women’s rights. However, that looked different Tuesday morning. She thought about the genocide of Palestine.
“This time when voting I was focused more on who was donating. So I didn’t know some big companies were donating to certain people that made me if-y on my vote,” she said. One example she said was the American Israel Public Affairs Committee donating money to certain candidates.
— Amelia Schafer, contributed by Jourdan Bennett-Begaye
2:15 p.m. ET
With less than 90 days to the 2026 midterm elections, voters are heading to the polls in four states Tuesday in another round of state primaries in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Connecticut and Vermont.
In Minnesota, 11 Indigenous candidates are vying for positions in everything from schools boards to county commissions to the U.S. Senate. The race with the most eyes involves Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, White Earth Nation, running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Tina Smith.
ICT will be on the ground covering Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan’s race for the U.S. Senate.
Polls close in Minnesota and Wisconsin at 8 p.m. Central Time.
Connecticut has a lone candidate running for the state legislature: Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation citizen Larry Pemberton Jr. He is running for reelection after winning a special election to represent District 139 in the Connecticut state legislature after the death of Rep. Kevin Ryan.
Pemberton took office in January 2026, where he became the first Native American in the Connecticut General Assembly, according to Connecticut Public.
Connecticut polling locations close at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
There are no Indigenous candidates in Vermont, according to the ICT and Advance Native Political Leadership’s Indigenous candidates database.
Here are the Native candidates running for office in Minnesota:
- Peggy Flanagan, U.S. Senate — White Earth Nation
- Audrey Thayer, Bemidji City Council, At-Large — White Earth Nation
- Geri Lopez, Mahnomen County Commission, District 39 — White Earth Nation
- Sheila Lamb, Mayor of Cloquet — Fond Du Lac Ojibwe & Cherokee
- Jeannice Reding, Minnesota Fourth Judicial District Court, Position 57 — Stockbridge-Munsee
- Alicia “Liish” Kozlowski, Minnesota House of Representatives, District 8B — Grand Portage & Fond Du Lac Bands of Ojibwe & Mexicana
- Mary Kunesh, Minnesota State Senate, District 39 — Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
- Steve Green, Minnesota State Senate, District 2 — White Earth Nation
- Chris Jourdain, Red Lake Schools School Board, At-Large — Red Lake Nation
- Deanna Lasley, Red Lake Schools School Board, At-Large — Red Lake Nation
- Nicole Desjarlait, Red Lake Schools School Board, At-Large — Red Lake Nation
- NOVEMBER BALLOT: Shelley Buck, Minnesota House of Representatives, District 47A — Prairie Island Indian Community
- WITHDREW: Heather Keeler, U.S. House of Representatives, District 7 — Yankton Sioux Tribe
In Wisconsin, Rodney Rave, Ho-Chunk, withdrew from the U.S. House of Representatives in District 3.
