Hillary Clinton unveils first endorsement in House, Senate midterm races

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday endorsed Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D) in her bid for the Senate, marking the former first lady’s first endorsement of a House or Senate candidate in 2026.

Flanagan wrote on social media that she was honored to have Clinton’s support, saying she “has spent five decades fighting for working families, dedicating her career to making the case that every child in this country deserves a fair shot.”

“Minnesota, you have an opportunity to select an extraordinary person and public servant as your next U.S. senator,” Clinton replied on Bluesky . “Please take it!”

The Hill has reached out to Clinton’s office for comment.

Clinton praised Flanagan for her “career fighting for children and families, from the Children’s Defense Fund to the Lieutenant Governor’s office, and she’s delivered for them,” according to a statement obtained by The Washington Sun . She said Flanagan will “be that same champion” if she wins her Senate bid.

Like Flanagan, Clinton worked with the Children’s Defense Fund at the start of her career. Flanagan was the executive director of the Minnesota chapter until 2015, when she was elected to Minnesota’s House of Representatives.

The endorsement also touched on President Trump’s response to rising prices, with the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran driving up the cost of gas.

“Donald Trump has made it harder for families to afford childcare, groceries and healthcare for their kids,” Clinton said, criticizing her former 2016 presidential opponent. “His tariffs and war in Iran are driving up prices, and his budget ripped healthcare and food assistance away from children so billionaires could get another tax cut.”

The Huffington Post first reported the endorsement.

Flanagan’s received a wave of endorsements from progressive lawmakers, including Clinton’s former opponent for the 2016 Democratic nomination, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), as well as Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Massachusetts Democratic Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren.

Decision Desk HQ, The Hill’s partner election handicapper, estimates Flanagan has an 84 percent probability of winning her Senate race against Republican Michele Tafoya, who holds a 16 percent probability.

Clinton’s support brings another major voice from the Democratic Party’s past into the party’s fight to retake the House and the Senate in November.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who has also endorsed a slew of candidates, last month campaigned with Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D). The candidate is slated to have former President Obama join him on the campaign trail in Detroit later this month . Obama has also endorsed other candidates , including Iowa Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek.