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Flanagan and Tafoya hold their only U.S. Senate debate

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (DFL) and Michele Tafoya (Republican) met Friday for the only scheduled debate in Minnesota's open U.S. Senate race. Fraud, the federal immigration crackdown known as Operation Metro Surge, and President Trump's endorsement of Tafoya were among the topics. Election Day is Nov. 3.

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How each side sees it

Flanagan saysShe backs stronger fraud oversight, including an independent inspector general's office, and tougher penalties; she agreed with Gov. Tim Walz that more should have been done sooner. She supports fully dismantling ICE and replacing it, and said Tafoya is trying to reinvent herself on the immigration crackdown.
Tafoya saysShe said Flanagan, as lieutenant governor, was second in command when the fraud occurred and is now shifting blame to Walz. She called for America to be "a nation of immigration and also a nation of law and order" and criticized the federal rollout of Operation Metro Surge.

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Published Saturday, October 17, 2026. Spot an error? Email [email protected]. See our corrections log and standards.

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