By Mary Murphy/Inforum
As part of her campaign for U.S. Senate, Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan hosted her 13th “Kitchen Table Conversation” on in late April in St. Paul, where roughly 30 people gathered to discuss their hopes and fears.
The meeting was part of a statewide tour to support Flanagan’s campaign, which she announced Feb. 13, hours after Sen. Tina Smith announced she wouldn’t be seeking reelection in 2026.
At the front of the room, three posters read “Who are you fighting for?” “What gives you hope?” and “What worries you?” Attendees wrote their answers on colorful Post-It notes and added them to the posters.
Flanagan walked, sometimes jogging, around the room with a microphone to those in the crowd who wanted to share their Post-It note answers. She joked, “I’m gonna be the Indigenous Oprah here.”
Andrew Lindsay, a first-year undergrad student at Macalester University, said he’s worried about his roommate, an international student who is “afraid to speak up” because he is scared his visa will be revoked.
“If there are people who feel like they cannot raise their voice, it is our responsibility … to use ours in this moment,” Flanagan responded. “That a student could simply be walking along and … disappear … It’s outrageous, and we don’t want our students to live in fear.”
Quin Mudry Nelson, a Ph.D. student at the University of Minnesota studying public health, said what worries them are “attacks on science,” as federal funding is in flux for the National Institutes of Health .
Other attendees discussed concerns over federal funding cuts to nonprofit organizations, the “disconnect” between “world is on fire” and “business as usual,” Democratic messaging and Elon Musk.
Rudy Meyer, a campaigner and organizer, said a recent town hall hosted by U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar gave him hope, not only because it was well-attended, but also because it drew some new faces.
“Being in those rooms, and rooms like this where I’m able to come and remind myself that, like, ‘Oh, it’s not just like me scrolling on my phone’ … like, doom scrolling … I don’t feel as alone anymore,” he said. “And to know there are a lot of people who feel the same way … it’s refreshing and nice and encouraging.”
During closing remarks, Flanagan said the event and others like it may be part of her campaign for U.S. Senate, but “if we’re doing it right, it is also an opportunity for people to be activated.”
Flanagan has also made stops in St. Louis Park, Apple Valley, Hibbing, Duluth, Rochester, St. Cloud, Wood Lake, Moorhead, Bemidji, Brainerd, Blaine and Minnetonka.
“I’m ready for this fight, because I think it’s a fight of our lifetime,” she said. “It’s the fight against Donald Trump in this moment, and I feel really good about the folks that are in this fight together, shoulder to shoulder.”
Flanagan said the majority of her “Kitchen Table Conversations” have been in red districts and that some have been larger; one had to be capped at 110. She said her campaign estimates the talks have drawn 1,000 attendees so far.
“Can’t stop, won’t stop,” she said. “We have more people who have been reaching out to us about hosting them in their communities … I think right now, my job primarily is to listen to folks.”
State Rep. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger, DFL-Woodbury, was present to support Flanagan, who has also received support from two statewide elected officers, Attorney General Keith Ellison and State Auditor Julie Blaha.
Smith and Gov. Tim Walz have opted not to endorse a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat ahead of the primary. Flanagan said she thinks U.S. Sens. Smith and Amy Klobuchar will endorse a candidate when they’re ready. As for Walz, Flanagan said she’s rooting for him in whatever he does next.
Flanagan was the first to throw her hat in the race after Smith announced she would not be seeking reelection. Former state Sen. Melisa López Franzen, a DFL candidate, has also announced a bid for the seat.
Several individuals without public office experience have also joined the race: former Republican U.S. Senate candidate Royce White; Republican Adam Schwarze, a retired Navy SEAL and former infantry Marine; former candidate for the Hennepin County Commission Marisa Simonetti, an Independent; former U.S. Navy engineer Raymond Peterson, a Republican; and Mike Ruoho, a Republican restaurant executive.
