Minnesota State Room
U.S. Senate — Minnesota
Articles, candidate report cards, office explainers & public accountability
Minnesota 2026 — and the Road Beyond
Election: November 3, 2026. Research checked: October 8, 2026. Minnesota voters elect one U.S. Senator in this contest. The current four-candidate field combines the certified major-party nominees with the independent and Libertarian candidates listed by the official candidate finder.
| Candidate | Party / status | Candidate-controlled website |
|---|---|---|
| Michele Tafoya | Republican nominee | micheletafoya.com |
| Peggy Flanagan | Democratic-Farmer-Labor nominee | peggyflanagan.com |
| Marisa Simonetti | Independent | marisasimonetti.com |
| Rebecca Whiting | Libertarian | whiting4senate.us |
The Secretary of State's primary summary and complete results identify Tafoya and Flanagan as the primary winners. The candidate finder supplies the independent and Libertarian filings.
WHAT A U.S. SENATOR CAN DO
A Senator serves a six-year term, writes and votes on federal law and appropriations, conducts oversight, considers executive and judicial nominations, participates in treaty approval and sits in impeachment trials. One Senator cannot enact a law, direct Minnesota state agencies or guarantee an appropriation alone.
Senate powers and procedures · Personalized sample ballot
OPEN REPORT-CARD QUESTIONS
What bills would each candidate introduce first? What costs, authorities, targets and deadlines accompany each proposal? How would they approach confirmations, war powers, oversight and constituent service? Which claims are supported by public records rather than campaign material alone?
No score, endorsement or forecast is assigned. Candidate portraits, FEC finance comparisons, complete issue records and candidate responses remain a later layer.