Voters in Minnesota and Wisconsin rejected party machines on both sides of the aisle Tuesday, handing upset victories to candidates who defied establishment picks and high-profile endorsements — proof that populist energy, not party boss preferences, is driving 2026.

The message cut across party lines. In Minnesota's Democratic Senate primary, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan crushed centrist Rep. Angie Craig by nearly 20 points despite being heavily outspent. On the Republican side in the same state, voters shrugged off President Trump's endorsement of MyPillow founder Mike Lindell and nominated state House Speaker Lisa Demuth for governor instead. In South Carolina, Trump's appointed Sen. Darline Graham was forced into a GOP runoff by Rep. Ralph Norman. The legacy press is framing it as party "chaos." What actually happened is simpler: voters refused to follow orders.

Flanagan's victory is the clearest case. She ran explicitly against the money. "For months now, I have been telling you that this campaign was about the many versus the money," Flanagan said in her victory speech, according to the New York Times. "Well, guess what, the many just won." The Guardian reported Flanagan was heavily outspent by Craig, who had the establishment's backing and a swing-district resume.

The race was shaped by backlash to the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minnesota. The Guardian reported that Craig's vote for the Laken Riley Act — requiring immigration detention for illegal immigrants accused of local crimes — dogged her campaign after the state saw two resident deaths and hundreds of deportations during Operation Metro Surge. Craig said she regretted the vote by March. It wasn't enough.

On the Republican side, Lindell's loss to Demuth was a rejection of the idea that endorsements are ballots. NBC reported that Minnesota Republicans themselves attacked Lindell in the final weeks, with the state party chairman raising questions about his residency. The Guardian noted Lindell faces ongoing defamation cases over election denial claims and a potential campaign finance violation for handing out free pillows at a parade. The party wanted a nominee who could beat Democrat Amy Klobuchar in November. Voters agreed.

In Wisconsin, the establishment held — barely. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley defeated democratic socialist state Rep. Francesca Hong in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, NBC projected, but not before a race that exposed the same fault lines. Fox News reported Hong was endorsed by Reps. Ilhan Omar and Ro Khanna, while Sanders and AOC stayed out. Crowley, who had suspended his campaign and re-entered with retiring Gov. Tony Evers' endorsement, will face Freedom Caucus member Rep. Tom Tiffany, who cruised to the GOP nomination with Trump's backing.

The through-line: the machines didn't get what they wanted without a fight, and more often than not, they lost. The question heading into November is whether this populist energy holds when the choice is no longer between insiders and insurgents, but between parties.