Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman says Angie Craig sought his endorsement while he was in ICU

2026 ElectionMinnesota state Sen. John Hoffman says Angie Craig sought his endorsement while he was in ICUHoffman and his wife were the victims of a politically motivated assassination attempt last year.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00State Sen. John Hoffman, D-Minn., at the State Capitol in St. Paul on the first day of the 2026 legislative session in February.Alex Kormann / Star Tribune via AP fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJuly 26, 2026, 7:34 PM EDTBy Joe Kottke and Raquel Coronell UribeDemocratic Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman said Friday that Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., sought his endorsement for her U.S. Senate campaign while he was in intensive care following the June 2025 attempt on his life.Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Hoffman said in a statement to NBC News on Sunday that a “dear and trusted friend” approached him for an endorsement twice — once while he was in the intensive care unit and the second time while he was recovering at home — and that the friend “confirmed that the endorsement requests came from Congresswoman Craig.”Hoffman’s remarks came at a campaign event for Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who is also seeking the Democratic Senate nomination.“When [Craig] said she wanted my endorsement, she was doing that during moments when our family’s story had high visibility, and that’s all you need to know that the difference is between the opponent that Peggy has and Peggy Flanagan. Because Peggy Flanagan, she checked on us out of her love for how we were doing and if we were OK,” Hoffman said at a rally Friday in St. Paul, at which Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., was also present.Asked about the allegations, a spokesperson for Flanagan said, “That’s a matter between Congresswoman Craig and the Hoffmans.”A spokesperson for Craig said in a statement that “the claim is categorically false.”“The Congresswoman reached out to Senator Hoffman only expressing deep sympathy f...