Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has entered the 2026 midterm campaign with her first endorsement of a U.S. Senate candidate, throwing her support behind Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, as reported by Fox News.

Flanagan, the Democratic candidate for the Minnesota seat, is running against Republican nominee Michele Tafoya. The contest comes as U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., prepares to leave the Senate after announcing last year that she would not seek another term in 2026.

Clinton announced her support on the social media platform Bluesky while sharing a post from Flanagan that promoted the endorsement.

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

Warning: Account balances and purchasing power no longer tell the same story. Know in 2 minutes if your retirement is working for you.

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

[image or embed]

— Hillary Rodham Clinton (@hillaryclinton.bsky.social) October 7, 2026 at 10:54 AM

Flanagan responded by highlighting Clinton’s career and presenting the endorsement as a continuation of the former secretary of state’s political work.

“@hillaryclinton.bsky.social 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. I’m honored to have Secretary Clinton’s support, and I’ll proudly carry on her fight in the US Senate,” Flanagan declared.

@hillaryclinton.bsky.social 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.

I’m honored to have Secretary Clinton’s support, and I’ll proudly carry on her fight in the US Senate.

[image or embed]

— Peggy Flanagan (@peggyflanagan.bsky.social) October 7, 2026 at 8:50 AM

FREE Gun Law Map: Laws Don't Pause During Social Unrest

Clinton, who also served as first lady and as a U.S. senator from New York, was the Democratic presidential candidate in 2016. She lost that White House contest to Republican Donald Trump.

Her endorsement statement did not simply praise Flanagan. Clinton also took direct aim at Trump and blamed his administration for economic pressures affecting American families.

“Donald Trump has made it harder for families to afford childcare, groceries, and health care for their kids. His tariffs and war in Iran are driving up prices, and his budget ripped health care and food assistance away from children so billionaires could get another tax cut,” Clinton said in a statement, according to reports.

Clinton pointed to Flanagan’s work with the Children’s Defense Fund and in the Minnesota lieutenant governor’s office as evidence that she would advocate for families in Washington.

“Peggy Flanagan has spent 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,” Clinton said. “I know she’ll be that same champion in the Senate, and I’m proud to endorse her.”

The White House responded Thursday through spokeswoman Taylor Rogers, who rejected Clinton’s affordability argument and blamed the Democratic Party for creating the problem Clinton criticized.

“Did Hillary Clinton forget that her political party created the ‘affordability’ crisis? President Trump is fixing it by delivering real results: he signed the largest working-class tax cuts in history, drastically cut the cost of prescription drugs, added more than one million private-sector jobs, launched a manufacturing renaissance, and sent 401(k)s to record highs,” Rogers said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

Rogers also attacked Democratic support for socialist candidates, arguing that their policies would impose major costs on American households and add trillions of dollars to the federal deficit.

“Democrats pretend to care about ‘affordability’ while supporting socialist candidates whose policies would cost every American household $355,000 over 10 years while adding $49 trillion to the deficit,” Rogers said.

White House spokesman Davis Ingle offered another pointed response, defending Trump’s economic record while dismissing Clinton’s latest campaign involvement.

“President Trump is creating good-paying jobs, securing trillions of dollars in investments, and positioning our country to dominate the remainder of the 21st century,” Ingle said. He also accused Clinton of continuing to complain about her 2016 defeat and said it was time for her to move on.

Tafoya, meanwhile, has criticized Minnesota’s Democratic leadership, including Flanagan. During an appearance on Jesse Watters Primetime, the Republican nominee discussed alleged violence connected to Somalis in Minnesota and criticized the state’s Democratic leaders.

The Clinton endorsement places one of the Democratic Party’s most prominent former presidential nominees squarely behind Flanagan as the Minnesota race takes shape. Tafoya remains the Republican candidate seeking the Senate seat Smith will vacate.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of BoredTrashPanda.com. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.