JTA — Minnesota Lieutenant Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a progressive who says she would reject AIPAC’s money and accuses Israel of committing genocide, trounced Rep. Angie Craig in the state’s Democratic primary for US Senate on Tuesday.

A pro-Israel candidate in the seat Craig is vacating also went down to Matt Little, a more progressive Israel-critical candidate.

Flanagan beat out Craig 60%-40% with 96 percent of votes counted. She is expected to win the general election in November.

The race, and the candidates’ sparring over AIPAC, comes as the lobby and Israel under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have become increasingly unpopular among Democratic voters. Israel is also an issue in the Democratic gubernatorial primary in neighboring Wisconsin taking place on Tuesday.

Craig had been endorsed by the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC. Flanagan referred to Craig as “AIPAC’s candidate” in the Senate race, which prompted Craig to distance herself from the group’s spending during a TV debate in June.

“AIPAC has not contributed at all, the PAC, to my Senate campaign,” said Craig, whose wife, Cheryl Greene, is Jewish. “Not one penny.”

Flanagan countered that, while AIPAC itself has not donated to Craig’s campaign, it has held fundraisers for the four-term congresswoman. AIPAC did not respond to a request for comment.

Just last week in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, progressive Abdul El-Sayed defeated the moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, whose AIPAC endorsement was the frequent target of opposition attacks.

Flanagan has drawn the support of American Priorities, a pro-Palestinian super PAC that aims to counter AIPAC. The group spent about $54,000 on ads boosting her candidacy, according to FEC filings.

Flanagan’s platform includes blocking offensive weapons sales to Israel — a position that all but seven Senate Democrats voted for in April — and advancing a two-state solution that........

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