Republicans are targeting Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan as a progressive midterm target, aiming to shift the election's focus from President Trump to what they portray as a far-left Democratic Party. This strategy involves highlighting progressive Democrats who have won statewide primaries, such as Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and Flanagan. GOP operatives are compiling videos of these liberals for use in attack ads at an upcoming convention, seeking to discredit them. After Flanagan's primary win, conservative accounts and activists circulated images of her wearing a hijab and a "protect trans kids" T-shirt, while the National Republican Senatorial Committee labeled her an "extremist." Republicans see lines of attack in Flanagan's support for dismantling ICE, transgender rights, and her ties to Bernie Sanders, alongside Minnesota fraud scandals during her tenure. Despite Republicans not winning a statewide race in Minnesota in two decades and Flanagan leading in early polls, national GOP strategists are closely watching the race. The GOP is more optimistic about their Senate nominee, Michele Tafoya, after a more moderate gubernatorial candidate won their primary. Even if they can't defeat Flanagan, Republicans hope to force Democrats to expend resources defending the seat. However, Republicans face a tough environment in Minnesota due to Trump's low approval ratings and recent federal immigration officer shootings. Flanagan is countering by linking Tafoya to Trump and his policies, arguing that Tafoya would be a loyal vote for him, which Minnesotans will reject.