- Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan could become the first Native American woman governor in the US.
- Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, would also be Minnesota's first female governor.
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan could make history for Native American women in the US.
Now that Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to run alongside her for the 2024 presidential campaign, Walz could have to step down as governor in the near future.
If Harris and Walz win in November, or Walz steps down to focus on campaigning, his second in charge, Flanagan, would take charge, per Minnesota's constitution.
In doing so, Flanagan would make history as the first woman governor of Minnesota and the first Native American woman to assume the role of governor in any state.
According to Flanagan's official biography, she is a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe and the highest-ranking Native woman elected to an executive office.
Flanagan began her political career in 2002 working for former US Sen. Paul Wellstone's campaign, per the MinnPost.
Later, between 2005 and 2009, she became the first Native American on the board of the Minneapolis Board of Education, MinnPost reported.
Following a handful of jobs, including working at a nonprofit that trained future organizers and politicians — including Walz himself — Flanagan ran unopposed for the Minnesota House representatives in 2015 and won.
Then, in 2017, Walz picked her to run alongside him for his 2018 Gubernatorial campaign. The pair defeated Donald Trump-endorsed candidate Jeff Johnson with 54% of the vote.
In an interview with Teen Vogue following her election win, she explained why running for public office was important to her.
"I care tremendously about politics, I care tremendously about social justice and organizing work, and making sure that our democracy accurately reflects the people it seeks to represent," she told the publication. "I think that this is just a natural extension, this is an opportunity for me to serve. That's how I see my role and no matter where I am, I think that my job is to make sure that people feel seen, heard, and valued. That's my vocation."
As lieutenant governor, she established the nation's first Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office, per her biography. The office provides resources for Indigenous families affected by violence and supports them during law enforcement investigations, according to the office's website.
Following the announcement that Walz had been chosen to run alongside Harris, Flanagan congratulated him on social media.
"I've been friends with Tim Walz for almost 20 years. And for more than five years, he's been my partner in justice at the Minnesota Capitol," Flanagan wrote. "He has the grit and the grace to keep our country moving forward alongside Kamala Harris."
Representatives for Flanagan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.