Peggy Flanagan

Peggy Flanagan
Born	Margaret Flanagan 22 9, 1979
Birthplace	St. Louis Park, Minnesota, U.S.
Nationality	American / Ojibwe
Occupation	Politician, community organizer
Known for	50th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota; first woman of color elected to statewide office in Minnesota
Education	University of Minnesota (BA)
Children	1
Website	[Official state website Official site]

Margaret "Peggy" Flanagan (Ojibwe: Gizhiiwewidamookwe; born September 22, 1979) is an American politician and Ojibwe activist serving as the 50th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota since January 2019. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) and a citizen of the White Earth Nation, Flanagan has held elected office in Minnesota for nearly two decades, beginning with her tenure on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education from 2005 to 2009 and continuing through her service in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. She was selected as the running mate of Governor Tim Walz in 2017 and was elected alongside him in 2018 and again in 2022. Upon taking office, Flanagan became the first woman of color elected to statewide office in Minnesota and, at the time, the highest-ranking Native American woman holding elected office in the United States. Her career has roots in community organizing, including work with Minnesota's urban Indigenous community and the campaign of U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone. In February 2025, Flanagan announced her candidacy for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Tina Smith, who declined to seek reelection in 2026.

Early Life

Peggy Flanagan was born Margaret Flanagan on September 22, 1979, and grew up in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, an inner-ring suburb of Minneapolis. She is a citizen of the White Earth Nation, one of the Ojibwe bands in Minnesota. Her Ojibwe name is Gizhiiwewidamookwe.

Flanagan's early experiences in St. Louis Park and the broader Minneapolis metropolitan area shaped her interest in community advocacy and public service. Growing up as a Native American woman in an urban setting, she became involved in issues affecting Indigenous communities at a young age. Her background as a member of the White Earth Nation, one of the largest Ojibwe reservations in Minnesota, connected her to both the urban Indigenous population in the Twin Cities and the reservation-based communities in northwestern Minnesota.

Flanagan's entry into political activism came through community organizing. She organized within Minnesota's urban Indigenous community and worked on the 2002 reelection campaign of U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone, the progressive Minnesota senator who died in a plane crash on October 25, 2002, shortly before Election Day. The experience of working on Wellstone's campaign, and the tragedy of his death, left a lasting impression on Flanagan's approach to grassroots politics and progressive policy advocacy.

Education

Flanagan attended the University of Minnesota, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Her education at the state's flagship public university provided a foundation for her subsequent career in community organizing and public policy. Details of her specific field of study and year of graduation are not extensively documented in available sources.

Career

Community Organizing

Before entering elected office, Flanagan built a career as a community organizer focused on Indigenous communities in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. Her organizing work included engagement with the urban Native American population, which is one of the largest in the United States and is concentrated in the Twin Cities region. She worked on Senator Paul Wellstone's 2002 reelection campaign, an experience that immersed her in progressive grassroots politics. Flanagan's organizing background emphasized equity, education, and representation for communities historically underrepresented in Minnesota's political institutions.

Minneapolis Public Schools Board

In 2004, Flanagan ran for and won a seat on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education. She served on the board from 2005 to 2009, a period during which she focused on issues of educational equity for students from marginalized communities in the Minneapolis school district. During her tenure, Flanagan advocated for addressing achievement gaps and improving outcomes for students of color and Indigenous students within the district.

Her school board service provided Flanagan with experience in governing institutions and navigating the complexities of public education policy, serving as a stepping stone toward her later career in the state legislature.

Minnesota House of Representatives

In 2015, Flanagan ran for the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 46A, which encompasses a section of Minneapolis's western inner-ring suburbs, including portions of her hometown of St. Louis Park. She ran unopposed for the seat, which had been held by Ryan Winkler. She was elected on November 9, 2015, and took her seat in the Minnesota House.

During her time in the legislature, Flanagan identified as a political progressive and focused on issues including education, social services, and Native American rights. As a member of the White Earth Nation, she brought a perspective to the legislature that was uncommon in Minnesota state government, where Native American representation had historically been limited.

In July 2016, Flanagan addressed the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, raising her national profile as a Native American progressive voice within the Democratic Party. Her speech highlighted issues important to Native communities and progressive causes more broadly.

Flanagan served in the Minnesota House until January 7, 2019, when she resigned the seat to assume the office of lieutenant governor. Her district seat was subsequently filled by Ryan Winkler, who had previously held it before Flanagan.

Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota

In October 2017, Congressman Tim Walz, who was running for the DFL nomination for governor, selected Flanagan as his running mate for lieutenant governor. The pairing brought together Walz, a moderate Democrat from southern Minnesota with a background in education and military service, with Flanagan, a progressive organizer and legislator from the Twin Cities suburbs. The ticket was designed to bridge the party's urban-progressive and rural-moderate constituencies.

The Walz-Flanagan ticket won the DFL primary and the 2018 general election. Flanagan took office as the 50th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota on January 7, 2019, succeeding Michelle Fischbach. Upon her inauguration, Flanagan became the first woman of color elected to statewide office in Minnesota's history. She was also recognized at the time as the highest-ranking Native American woman holding elected office in the United States, a milestone noted by national media and Native American organizations.

In her role as lieutenant governor, Flanagan has served as president of the Minnesota Senate and has been involved in the Walz administration's policy initiatives. She has been particularly active on issues related to education, Indigenous rights, and social equity. As a citizen of the White Earth Nation, she has worked to strengthen the state's relationship with Minnesota's tribal nations and has advocated for policies addressing disparities faced by Native American communities in the state.

The Walz-Flanagan ticket was reelected in 2022, securing a second term for both. During the second term, the administration advanced a progressive legislative agenda that included significant policy changes in areas such as paid family leave, reproductive rights protections, and education funding.

2026 U.S. Senate Campaign

On February 13, 2025, Flanagan announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat held by Tina Smith, who had announced she would not seek reelection in 2026. The Minnesota Senate race quickly emerged as one of the key national contests of the 2026 election cycle, attracting attention from both the Democratic and Republican parties.

In February 2026, Senator Tina Smith endorsed Flanagan over U.S. Representative Angie Craig, who also entered the DFL primary race. Early polling in the primary showed Flanagan leading, while Craig led in fundraising totals, setting up a competitive contest within the party.

Flanagan's Senate campaign has centered on progressive policy positions. She has been a vocal critic of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. According to The Wall Street Journal, Flanagan has stated that ICE is "beyond" reform, a position that has placed her within the progressive wing of the Democratic Party on immigration policy.

The campaign has not been without controversy. In January 2026, allegations surfaced that Flanagan was connected to a Signal chat group that purportedly coordinated anti-ICE protest activities, including recording license plates. Flanagan denied any involvement with the group, calling the allegations "ridiculous."

Additionally, critics have raised questions about Flanagan's leadership during a COVID-era fraud case in Minnesota. A Minnesota Democratic operative was quoted by Fox News as saying that the fraud scandal could pose challenges for her Senate campaign.

In response to federal immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota, including the detention of members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe by ICE agents in Minneapolis, Flanagan has been vocal in her criticism of federal immigration operations within the state. Native News Online reported on Flanagan's response to immigration enforcement activities affecting Minnesota communities, framing it within the context of her broader advocacy for Indigenous and marginalized populations.

Personal Life

Flanagan married Tom Weber, a former Minnesota Public Radio reporter, in 2019. Weber had previously been reassigned from his reporting duties at MPR News after disclosing his relationship with Flanagan, who was at that time a state legislator and candidate for lieutenant governor. MPR News publicly addressed the matter, noting that Weber had been moved to a different role within the organization.

Flanagan has one child. She resides in the Minneapolis metropolitan area. As a citizen of the White Earth Nation, Flanagan has spoken publicly about the importance of her Ojibwe heritage and the role it plays in her public service and personal identity.

Recognition

Flanagan's election as lieutenant governor in 2018 was noted as a historic achievement on multiple levels. She became the first woman of color to be elected to statewide office in Minnesota, breaking a barrier in a state where statewide elected offices had previously been held exclusively by white politicians. At the time of her election, she was also recognized as the highest-ranking Native American woman in elected office in the United States, a distinction that garnered attention from national media outlets and Native American advocacy organizations.

Her address at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia placed her on a national stage as one of the few Native American voices at a major party convention, and her subsequent election to statewide office further elevated her profile within both the DFL and national Democratic Party circles.

Teen Vogue profiled Flanagan as part of its coverage of young and diverse political leaders, highlighting her path from community organizer to the state's second-highest executive office. MPR News featured Flanagan in a 2020 segment on Native women and access to political power, discussing the systemic barriers facing Indigenous women in American politics and Flanagan's experience navigating those barriers.

Her candidacy for the U.S. Senate in 2026, if successful, would make her the first Native American woman elected to the United States Senate, adding to her record of firsts in American politics.

Legacy

Flanagan's career represents a series of milestones for Native American representation in American politics. Her election as lieutenant governor of Minnesota in 2018 marked the first time a woman of color held statewide office in the state, and her position as the highest-ranking Native American woman in elected office at that time reflected a broader trend of increasing Indigenous political participation in the early 21st century.

Her path from community organizer to school board member to state legislator to lieutenant governor illustrates a model of progressive political advancement rooted in grassroots activism. Her early work with the Paul Wellstone campaign and urban Indigenous community organizing established a foundation that carried through her subsequent political career. As a citizen of the White Earth Nation, Flanagan has served as a visible representative of Native American communities in state government, a role she has used to advocate for tribal sovereignty, educational equity, and social services.

The 2026 U.S. Senate race represents the next chapter in Flanagan's political career. With the endorsement of outgoing Senator Tina Smith and a lead in early primary polling, the contest has become one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country. Regardless of the outcome, Flanagan's career has already expanded the range of representation in Minnesota politics and contributed to the broader movement for Native American political participation at the state and national level.