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|image = PeggyFlanagan.jpg
|image = PeggyFlanagan.jpg
|order = [[Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota]]<br>Elect
|order = [[Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota]]<br>Elect
|term_start = January 3, 2019
|term_start = January 7, 2019
|governor = [[Tim Walz]] <small>(elect)</small>
|governor = [[Tim Walz]] <small>(elect)</small>
|succeeding = [[Michelle Fischbach]]
|succeeding = [[Michelle Fischbach]]

Revision as of 22:52, 10 November 2018

Peggy Flanagan
Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
Elect
Assuming office
January 7, 2019
GovernorTim Walz (elect)
SucceedingMichelle Fischbach
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
from the 46A district
Incumbent
Assumed office
November 9, 2015
Preceded byRyan Winkler
Personal details
Born (1979-09-22) September 22, 1979 (age 45)
Political partyDemocratic
Children1
EducationUniversity of Minnesota (BA)

Peggy Flanagan (born September 22, 1979) is an American political activist and politician in Minnesota, serving as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2015. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represents District 46A in the western Twin Cities metropolitan area. A member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, she joined fellow DFLer Susan Allen, (Rosebud Sioux) as the only other Native in the Minnesota State House.

On July 28, 2016, Flanagan became the first Native American woman to address the Democratic National Convention (or any convention of a major party), from the podium.[1]

Flanagan has worked on issue of education and political organizing for urban Native Americans in Minneapolis, Minnesota, through the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches. Elected to the city's School Board, she served from 2005 to 2009.

In 2017, she became a candidate for lieutenant governor, joining U.S. Representative Tim Walz in the 2018 Minnesota gubernatorial election.[2] She won, thus becoming the first woman of color elected to statewide office in Minnesota as well as the second Native American woman elected to statewide executive office in America.[3]

Early life, education and career

Flanagan was raised by a single mother in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, just west of Minneapolis.[4] Flanagan attended local schools[citation needed] and received a bachelor's degree in child psychology from the University of Minnesota in 2002.[5]

While in college, Flanagan worked for the campaign of Democratic US Senator Paul Wellstone, eventually becoming an organizer for the urban Native American community.[4] After college, she worked for the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, doing outreach work between Native American families and the Minneapolis public school system.[4]

Flanagan was elected to the Minneapolis Board of Education, serving from 2005 to 2009.[6] In 2008, she challenged state representative Joe Mullery in the Democratic primary, but dropped out of the race due to her mother's health problems.[4] After working in a handful of other jobs, Flanagan joined Wellstone Action as a trainer of activists, organizers, and candidates.[4] Flanagan also advocated for the successful 2014 effort to raise Minnesota's minimum wage.[4]

Minnesota legislature

Flanagan was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives unopposed in a special election on November 3, 2015, and was sworn-in on November 9, 2015.[7] Susan Allen (Rosebud) was the only other Native in the Minnesota State House at that time.

Three other Native women sought election to the Minnesota state legislature in November 2016: Mary Kelly Kunesh-Podein (Standing Rock Lakota) and Jamie Becker-Finn (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) ran for state representative seats and Chilah Brown (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) ran for the Minnesota Senate. Kunesh-Podein and Beck-Finn were elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives and assumed office in January 2017.

In 2017, Flanagan, Allen, Kunesh-Podein and Beck-Finn formed the Minnesota House Native American Caucus to represent issues of both urban and rural Native Americans and their other constituents in the legislature.[1]

2016 Democratic National Convention

Flanagan was invited to address the Democratic National Convention, speaking from the podium on July 28, 2016. She was the first Native American woman to address the DNC as an official speaker.[1]

Personal life

Flangan is a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe.[6] She has one daughter with her former husband, whom she divorced in 2017. Flanagan resides in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.[8] On January 12, 2018, Flanagan revealed on her personal Facebook page that she was in a relationship with the Minnesota Public Radio News host Tom Weber; MPR News announced that day that it was reassigning Weber and that he would no longer cover "the governor’s race, the Legislature, potential legislation, public policy involving the executive or legislative branches or any topic related to the November 2018 election."[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c Suzette Brewer, "Peggy Flanagan, White Earth, Addresses DNC", Indian Country Today, 28 July 2016; accessed 31 July 2016
  2. ^ Bakst, Brian (October 5, 2017). "Capitol View: Walz picks state legislator as running mate". Minnesota Public Radio.
  3. ^ 47m47 minutes ago (2009-02-05). "Torey Van Oot on Twitter: "Some powerful words on the significance of some of last night's "firsts," via MN Lt. Gov-elect @peggyflanagan. She's the 1st woman of color elected to statewide office in MN & 2nd Native American woman women elected to statewide executive office nationwide, per @GenderWatch2018". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2018-11-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b c d e f Bierschbach, Briana (4 November 2015). "The unopposed: Meet Minnesota's newest House member". MinnPost. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  5. ^ "Representative Peggy Flanagan (DFL) District: 46A". Minnesota House of Representatives. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  6. ^ a b Lopez, Ricardo (July 18, 2015). "Progressive activist Peggy Flanagan running unopposed for Minnesota House". Star Tribune. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
  7. ^ Montgomery, David H. (9 November 2015). "Flanagan sworn in as newest Minnesota lawmaker". Saint Paul Pioneer Press. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  8. ^ "MPR's Tom Weber reassigned because of romantic relationship with Rep. Peggy Flanagan". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2018-08-15.
  9. ^ Staff, MPR News. "A note from MPR News". Capitol View. Retrieved 2018-01-22.
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