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Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan has become the first Native American woman elected to the US Senate, marking another milestone in a political career that has repeatedly broken barriers. Anadolu Agency reported the result on Tuesday.
Flanagan, 47, defeated Republican Michele Tafoya, a former NFL sideline reporter, to keep Minnesota’s Senate seat in Democratic hands. She will succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Tina Smith.
Her election is a significant moment for Native American representation in Congress. Before her victory, only four Native American men had served in the Senate. The chamber had been without a Native American member since former Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin left earlier this year to become secretary of Homeland Security in the Trump administration.
Progressive campaign and political challenges
Flanagan’s election strengthens the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Her campaign platform included Medicare for All, universal childcare, nationwide paid family and medical leave, raising the federal minimum wage to $17 an hour and dismantling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
She was backed by prominent progressive figures, including Sen. Bernie Sanders. Her Senate campaign followed a difficult Democratic primary against US Rep. Angie Craig and came amid political tensions with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Republicans also targeted Flanagan over a fraud scandal involving state-run programs. She rejected responsibility, arguing that Walz, as governor, was ultimately accountable for the administration.
Indigenous rights and political career
An enrolled member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, Flanagan had made history before her Senate campaign. In 2019, she became the first Native American and first woman of color elected to statewide office in Minnesota when she took office as lieutenant governor.
In that role, she worked closely with tribal governments and helped reshape relations between Minnesota and its 11 tribal nations. Her work included expanding consultation with tribal leaders, supporting land restoration, strengthening protections for tribal interests and helping establish the state’s first office dedicated to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives.
Indigenous rights are also part of Flanagan’s personal background. Her father, Marvin Manypenny, was a prominent White Earth activist who campaigned for Native American rights and tribal sovereignty. He died in January 2020.
Flanagan graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in child psychology and a minor in American Indian studies. Before entering politics, she worked at the Division of Indian Work and Wellstone Action, a nonprofit that trains political candidates and organizers.
She served on the Minneapolis Board of Education from 2005 to 2009 and in the Minnesota House from 2015 to 2018. Walz chose her as his running mate in 2018, and she became lieutenant governor in January 2019.
