CBS projects Flanagan, Crowley, Demuth wins in Minnesota and Wisconsin primaries
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Summary
The broadcast reported CBS News projections from August 11, 2026 primaries in multiple states. Key calls included a South Carolina Senate Republican runoff between Darlene Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman; Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley defeating Democratic Socialist Franchesca Hong for the Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial nomination to face Rep. Tom Tiffany; and Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan defeating a more moderate Democrat for the Senate nod to face Michele Tafoya. It also covered Minnesota's Republican gubernatorial primary where Lisa Demuth defeated Mike Lindell, setting up a race against Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and noted the state's first female governor. Correspondent Jonah Kaplan discussed the contests as referendums on Democratic handling of a major fraud scandal, immigration enforcement, the economy, and an Iran war casualty from Minnesota.
Editorial Assessment
The segment accurately projected the primary outcomes, which have been confirmed across major news organizations. Claims about the scale of Minnesota's COVID-era fraud scandal—more than a billion dollars stolen across multiple social service programs, with around 100 charged and 60-70 convicted—are supported by federal prosecutors and ongoing DOJ takedowns. The soldier casualty reference is verified, though the name was slightly misstated as Nicole Aimer rather than Nicole Amor. Viewers might miss that Flanagan's win came against Rep. Angie Craig in a competitive primary, not an uncontested progressive sweep, and that Minnesota has not elected a Republican senator in over 15 years but remains competitive. The framing leans into Republican talking points on Democratic 'fraud crisis' responsibility while acknowledging immigration enforcement controversies; DOJ monitors were deployed but the correspondent noted no tangible voting issues arose, tempering alarm. Overall a solid recap with some name slips and interpretive emphasis on partisan proxy battles.
Key Moments
CBS projects Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly defeated Democratic Socialist Franchesca Hong for Wisconsin Democratic governor nomination; will face Rep. Tom Tiffany.
Confirmed by AP, NYT, NPR, and Ballotpedia; Crowley prevailed in an upset after Hong led in polls.
In Minnesota Senate race, progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan will face Republican Michele Tafoya; latest victory for progressive wing over moderates; no GOP senator since 2009.
Flanagan defeated Rep. Angie Craig per NYT, ESPN, Guardian; Tafoya won GOP side; Minnesota last elected Republican senator in 2002 (Norm Coleman, seated 2003), close enough to 'since 2009' reference to prior service.
Minnesota set for first female governor after Lisa Demuth defeated Mike Lindell; she will face Amy Klobuchar.
NYT, Yahoo News, and other outlets confirm Demuth beat Lindell in GOP primary; Klobuchar won Democratic nomination.
More than a billion dollars stolen from 14 categories of Minnesota social services during COVID; about 100 charged, 60-70 convicted.
DOJ, CBS News, AP, and Wikipedia summary of scandals document $1B+ fraud estimates, 90+ charged and majority convicted or pled guilty in Feeding Our Future and related cases.
DOJ sent two dozen election monitors to Minnesota to watch for fraud, especially noncitizens or immigrants voting; no real tangible issues reported, possibly more of a threat or semantics and triggering given past federal presence.
DOJ announced monitors for primary; Star Tribune and DOJ statements confirm focus on voter roll integrity and noncitizen voting concerns, with reports of no widespread issues on the ground.
Notable Concerns
- Slight mispronunciations or spellings of candidate names (Flanigan for Flanagan, Tofoya for Tafoya, Deuth for Demuth, Aimer for Amor)
- Overstated the Minnesota Senate outcome as solely a 'progressive over moderate' victory without noting the specific matchup against Angie Craig
- Heavy emphasis on Democratic failures on fraud with less detail on the specific programs or bipartisan oversight questions
Sources Consulted
- Minnesota U.S. Senate Primary 2026: Live Election Results
- In Wisconsin, David Crowley defeats Francesca Hong in primary for governor
- Everything we know about Minnesota's massive fraud scandal
- Minnesota Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in Charges Against 15 Defendants
- Justice Department sends election monitors to MN for 2026 primary
- United States Senate election in Minnesota, 2026
- Results in Tonight's Key Races
- Live Results: Primaries in South Carolina, Wisconsin, Minnesota