Outside groups fuel bitter Senate race between Peggy Flanagan and Angie Craig

WASHINGTON – Millions in spending by outside groups to influence the hotly contested U.S. Senate primary race between Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Rep. Angie Craig is filling the airwaves with attack ads and demonstrating the power of money in politics.

Television ads and other appeals will reach a crescendo as next Tuesday’s primary election draws near because the political action groups funding them have ramped up their last-minute spending.

The campaigns of Flanagan and Craig, Democrats vying to win retiring Sen. Tina Smith’s seat, are forbidden by law from coordinating with these outside groups spending big money on their behalf.

But there doesn’t have to be direct contact to know what a candidate wants and needs. Campaigns helpfully post their positions on their campaign websites to inform outside groups. And there are often relationships between the candidate and outside groups.

For instance, Flanagan has benefitted from nearly ...