After Walz pick, US could have its first-ever Native American woman governor

Following weeks of speculation, Vice President Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate — a move that could lead to a historic first.

If Harris wins in November and Walz resigns to become vice president, the Minnesota state constitution dictates that he would be replaced by Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, according to The Star Tribune.

Should this happen, Flanagan would become the state’s first female governor, according to MinnPost. She’d also become the first Native American woman to lead a U.S. state, according to the Center for American Women and Politics.

A member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, she is already the highest ranking Native woman elected to an executive office in the country, according to her government biography.

Flanagan was elected lieutenant governor in 2018 and was re-elected alongside Walz in 2022, according to Ballotpedia.

A native of St. Louis Park, she was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2015.

Prior to that, she served as executive director of Children’s Defense Fund and on the Minneapolis Board of Education. In 2002, she graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in American Indian studies and child psychology.

When asked about the possibility of becoming governor in July, Flanagan said, “I have been honored this entire time to serve the people of Minnesota. That would not change,” according to MinnPost.

Flanagan praised President Joe Biden on July 21, hours after he announced he would not seek re-election.

“Thank you for everything, President Biden,” she wrote in a post on X. “I appreciate your deep commitment to our country, public service, and your deep empathy and compassion for people. Our nation is indebted to you. Your wisdom is your legacy. Miigwech.”

This story was originally published August 6, 2024 at 9:24 AM with the headline "After Walz pick, US could have its first-ever Native American woman governor."