Michele Tafoya (R) and Peggy Flanagan (DFL) debate, hosted by MPR News.
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — With just over two weeks until Election Day, Republican Michele Tafoya and Democrat Peggy Flanagan faced off in their only scheduled debate, hosted by MPR News and moderated by politics editor Brian Bakst.
Tafoya said she supports eliminating taxes on tips, overtime pay and Social Security benefits, along with expanding the child tax credit. She also criticized Flanagan’s approach to government spending and taxation.
“No tax on tips, I’m for that. No tax on overtime, I’m for that. The expanded child tax credit, I’m for that. No tax on social security, I’m for that. I want to continue to bring taxes down. My opponent on the other hand thinks the answer to every issue in America is to throw more money at it, raise the taxes to throw money at it and to give more power to government,” Tafoya said.
Flanagan said she opposes taxing Social Security benefits and criticized Tafoya’s support for the federal budget legislation known as the Big Beautiful Bill, citing its cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
“I don’t support taxing social security, but I want to tell you what you didn’t hear was that Michele Tafoya supports the Big Beautiful Bill and the cuts to Medicaid and to SNAP. What this bill has done and will do is that 170,000 Minnesotans are going to lose access to healthcare,” Flanagan said.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. Early voting is underway across Minnesota.
