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Peggy Flanagan

Peggy Flanagan (Ojibwe: Geji Waudamukwe;[a][1] born September 22, 1979) is an American politician. She is the 50th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota since 2019. She was elected lieutenant governor on November 6, 2018.[2] She is the first woman of color elected to statewide office in Minnesota, and the highest-ranking Native American woman in elected office in the nation.[3] She is running for the U.S. Senate in 2026.

Peggy Flanagan
Geji Waudamukwe[a]
Peggy Flanagan and Premier Kinew (cropped).jpg
Flanagan in 2024
50th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
Assumed office
January 7, 2019
GovernorTim Walz
Preceded byMichelle Fischbach
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
from the 46A district
In office
November 9, 2015 – January 7, 2019
Preceded byRyan Winkler
Succeeded byRyan Winkler
Personal details
Born

22 September 1979 

     (aged 46)

Minnesota, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
Tim Hellendrung
​
​
(div. 2017)​

Tom Weber
​
​
(m. 2019)​
Children1
EducationUniversity of Minnesota (BA)

She is a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL). Flanagan represented District 46A in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. Before being elected to political office, she worked at a political training camp and was an activist.[4] She is politically a progressive.[4]

Early life

Flanagan was born in Minnesota to activist Marvin Manypenny.[5] Flanagan was raised by a single mother in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. She is of Irish and Ojibwe descent.[6] She is a citizen of the White Earth Nation.[4]

Flanagan received a bachelor's degree in child psychology and American Indian studies from the University of Minnesota in 2002.[7][8]

Early political career

While in college, Flanagan worked on U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone's campaign, eventually becoming an organizer for the urban Native American community.[9] After college, she worked for the Minnesota Council of Churches and the Minneapolis public school system.[9]

In her first run for elective office, Flanagan won a seat on the board of Minneapolis Public Schools in 2004.[10] In 2008, she ran against incumbent Minnesota Representative Joe Mullery in the Democratic primary, but dropped out of the race because of her mother's health problems.[9] After working a handful of other jobs, Flanagan worked as a trainer at Wellstone Action, helping people who wanted to run for office in Minnesota.[9] She was then appointed to briefly serve on the school board again from 2010 until 2011.[11]

Flanagan was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives without any competition in a special election on November 3, 2015, and sworn in on November 9.[12]

Lieutenant governor of Minnesota

In 2017, Flanagan became a candidate for lieutenant governor, joining U.S. Representative Tim Walz, who won the DFL primary in the 2018 Minnesota gubernatorial election.[13] In the general election, Walz and Flanagan defeated the Republican nominees, Jeff Johnson and Donna Bergstrom. Walz and Flanagan were reelected in 2022.[14][15]

Flanagan supports transgender rights and providing gender-affirming care to transgender youth. She supported Walz's executive order protecting access to gender-affirming care for adults and youth.[16]

Flanagan was one of four chairs of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.[17]

2026 U.S. Senate campaign

On February 13, 2025, Flanagan announced her plans to run for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Tina Smith in 2026.[18]

Personal life

Flanagan has a daughter with her first husband, Tim Hellendrung.[19] The marriage ended in 2017. She lives in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.[20]

In January 2018, Flanagan announced that she was in a relationship with radio host Tom Weber.[21] Flanagan married Weber in September 2019.[22]

Peggy Flanagan Media

  • Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan at Minnesota State University Moorhead

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lit. speaks with a clear and loud voice woman

References

  1. ↑ WATCH: Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan speaks at 2024 Democratic National Convention (YouTube video). PBS News Hour. 19 August 2024. Event occurs at 1:02. My name in the Ojibwe language is Geji Waudamukwe.
  2. ↑ Van Berkel, Jessie (November 16, 2018). "Peggy Flanagan, lieutenant governor to be, takes lead role in Tim Walz transition". Star Tribune (Minneapolis). http://www.startribune.com/peggy-flanagan-lieutenant-governor-to-be-takes-lead-role-in-tim-walz-transition/500708671/. "Flanagan's first priority is creating a board that will influence hiring and budget development.". 
  3. ↑ Taylor, Rory (2018-12-03). "The Nation's Highest-Ranking Native Woman Elected to Executive Office Has a Message for Indigenous Youth". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lopez, Ricardo (July 18, 2015). "Progressive activist Peggy Flanagan running unopposed for Minnesota House". Star Tribune. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
  5. ↑ Collins, Jon (January 28, 2020). "Marvin Manypenny, Minnesota American Indian activist, dies". Minnesota Public Radio. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/01/28/marvin-manypenny-minnesota-american-indian-activist-dies. Retrieved August 6, 2024. 
  6. ↑ Boyd, Cynthia. "Peggy Flanagan, new head of Children's Defense Fund-Minnesota, knows challenges of childhood poverty". MinnPost. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  7. ↑ "Representative Peggy Flanagan (DFL) District: 46A". Minnesota House of Representatives. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Meet St. Louis Park Rep. Peggy Flanagan | City South". Community Life Magazine. Archived from the original on February 23, 2020. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Bierschbach, Briana (November 4, 2015). The unopposed: Meet Minnesota's newest House member. https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2015/11/unopposed-meet-minnesotas-newest-house-member. Retrieved November 11, 2015. 
  10. ↑ "School Board: Lee, Flanagan, Henry-Blythe". November 11, 2004. Archived from the original on November 12, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Peggy Flanagan's focus for MPS students: equity". MinnPost. 2010-10-04. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
  12. ↑ Montgomery, David H. (November 9, 2015). Flanagan sworn in as newest Minnesota lawmaker. http://blogs.twincities.com/politics/2015/11/09/flanagan-sworn-in-as-newest-minnesota-lawmaker/. Retrieved November 11, 2015. 
  13. ↑ Bakst, Brian (October 5, 2017). "Capitol View: Walz picks state legislator as running mate". Minnesota Public Radio. https://blogs.mprnews.org/capitol-view/2017/10/walz-picks-state-legislator-as-running-mate/. 
  14. ↑ Taylor, Rory (December 3, 2018). "Lieutenant Governor-Elect of Minnesota Peggy Flanagan Becomes the Highest-Ranking Native Woman Elected to Executive Office in the United States". Teen Vogue. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  15. ↑ "Native women and access to power". August 26, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Make protection for gender care permanent". Star Tribune. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  17. ↑ Olson, Rochelle (2024-08-19). "Minnesota's lieutenant governor named one of four Democratic National Convention chairs in Chicago". www.startribune.com. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
  18. ↑ "MN Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan 'intends' to run for US Senate". FOX 9. February 13, 2025. https://www.fox9.com/news/peggy-flanagan-us-senate-minnesota. Retrieved February 13, 2025. 
  19. ↑ "Flanagan, Peggy - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present". www.lrl.mn.gov. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
  20. ↑ "MPR's Tom Weber reassigned because of romantic relationship with Rep. Peggy Flanagan". Star Tribune. http://www.startribune.com/mpr-s-tom-weber-reassigned-after-admitting-relationship-with-peggy-flanagan/469033203/. Retrieved August 15, 2018. 
  21. ↑ "A note from MPR News" (in en-US). Capitol View. https://blogs.mprnews.org/capitol-view/2018/01/a-note-from-mpr-news/. Retrieved January 22, 2018. 
  22. ↑ "Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan marries former MPR reporter Tom Weber". Star Tribune.

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