Christopher Street Project Endorses Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota Senate Primary

The national LGBTQ-rights organization Christopher Street Project announced its endorsement of Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) U.S. Senate primary slated for August 11. The endorsement pits Flanagan against Rep. Angie Craig, who has secured backing from figures such as former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Senator Tammy Baldwin, and the Human Rights Campaign. The endorsement highlights a split within the DFL over how aggressively to pursue transgender-rights legislation.

The Advocate

A central factor in the endorsement is the Trans Bill of Rights, a state-level proposal aimed at expanding protections for transgender Minnesotans. Craig has not co-sponsored the bill, whereas Flanagan has pledged support and promised to mobilize other Democrats around the measure. The Christopher Street Project framed the endorsement as a test of whether the DFL will prioritize “unapologetically pro-trans” policies or maintain a more cautious, status-quo approach.

The Advocate

Christopher Street Project executive director Tyler Hack emphasized the importance of legislative commitment, noting that Craig’s lack of co-sponsorship “is a pretty clear line” for the organization. Hack added that Flanagan’s record of working with transgender and queer leaders in Minnesota aligns with the group’s goal of building a Democratic caucus that “will organize alongside us… on the ground.”

The Advocate

Flanagan, speaking to *The Advocate*, linked transgender equality to broader civil-rights struggles, asserting that “civil rights and human rights should always be something that Democrats stand for.” She warned DFL members that failure to defend these issues calls into question their professed beliefs.

The Advocate

Supporters of Craig, including the Human Rights Campaign and Equality PAC, argue that her long legislative record demonstrates consistent backing of LGBTQ-related bills, even if she has not signed the specific Trans Bill of Rights. Critics of the Christopher Street Project’s endorsement contend that focusing on a single piece of legislation may overlook Craig’s broader contributions to LGBTQ policy and her historic candidacy as a lesbian woman.

The Advocate

• “The congresswoman has yet to sign on to that bill, and that for us is a pretty clear line,” — Tyler Hack, Executive Director, Christopher Street Project

The Advocate

• “and we’re really excited to be behind Peggy.” — Tyler Hack, Executive Director, Christopher Street Project

The Advocate

• “I think it’s clear to me that civil rights and human rights should always be something that Democrats stand for,” — Peggy Flanagan, Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota

The Advocate

• “If you don’t stand up for the things that you claim you believe in, then I don’t know that you really believe in those things,” — Peggy Flanagan, Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota

The Advocate