Peggy Flanagan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peggy Flanagan
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| Gizhiiwewidamookwe | |
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Flanagan in 2024
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| 50th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota | |
| Assumed office January 7, 2019 |
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| Governor | Tim Walz |
| Preceded by | Michelle Fischbach |
| Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 46A district |
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| In office November 9, 2015 – January 7, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Ryan Winkler |
| Succeeded by | Ryan Winkler |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 22, 1979 St. Louis Park, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Nationality | American White Earth Nation |
| Political party | Democratic (DFL) |
| Spouses |
Tim Hellendrung
(div. 2017)Thomas Weber
(m. 2019) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | University of Minnesota (BA) |
Peggy Flanagan (Ojibwe: Gizhiiwewidamookwe; born September 22, 1979) is an American politician and Native American leader. She has been the 50th lieutenant governor of Minnesota since 2019.
As lieutenant governor, she works closely with the governor to help lead the state. She is a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL). Before this, Flanagan was a state representative in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019.
Flanagan grew up in Saint Louis Park, Minnesota. This is a suburb near Minneapolis. She is a citizen of the White Earth Nation, which is a Native American tribe. She started her career helping to organize communities, especially for Native American people.
In 2005, she was elected to the Minneapolis Public Schools Board. This board helps make decisions for public schools in Minneapolis. Later, in 2015, she was elected to the Minnesota House.
Flanagan was elected lieutenant governor in 2018 and again in 2022. She ran alongside Tim Walz both times. She made history as the first woman of color elected to a statewide office in Minnesota. She is also the highest-ranking Native American woman in elected office in the United States.
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Early Life and Education
Peggy Flanagan was born on September 22, 1979. She grew up in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Her mother, Patricia Elizabeth Flanagan, was active in the DFL party. Her father, Marvin Manypenny, worked to protect Native American land rights.
Flanagan has both Irish and Ojibwe heritage. She is a citizen of the White Earth Nation. She went to St. Louis Park High School. In 2002, she earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota. She studied child psychology and American Indian studies.
Getting Started in Politics
While in college, Flanagan worked on a political campaign for U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone. She helped organize the Native American community for his campaign. After college, she worked with the Minnesota Council of Churches. She helped connect Native American families with the Minneapolis public school system.
In 2004, Flanagan ran for and won a seat on the board of Minneapolis Public Schools. She received the most votes among six candidates. She served on the school board from 2005 to 2009. Later, she worked for an organization called Wellstone Action. There, she trained people who wanted to become activists or run for office.
She also worked as the executive director of Children's Defense Fund-Minnesota. In this role, she helped support a successful effort in 2014 to raise Minnesota's minimum wage.
Serving in the Minnesota House
Flanagan was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in a special election on November 3, 2015. She officially started her role on November 9. At that time, she was one of only a few Native American people serving in the Minnesota State House.
In 2017, Flanagan and other Native American women representatives formed the Minnesota House Native American Caucus. This group works to represent the interests of Native Americans living in both cities and rural areas.
Speaking at the Democratic National Convention
On July 28, 2016, Peggy Flanagan was invited to speak at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. This is a big meeting where the Democratic Party chooses its presidential candidate. She was the second Native American woman ever to speak at this convention.
Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
In 2017, Flanagan decided to run for lieutenant governor. She joined U.S. Representative Tim Walz as his running mate. They won the DFL primary election in 2018.
In the main election, Walz and Flanagan won against their Republican opponents. They were reelected in 2022. As lieutenant governor, Flanagan works with Governor Walz to lead the state of Minnesota.
Leading the 2024 Democratic National Convention
Peggy Flanagan was one of four people chosen to chair the 2024 Democratic National Convention. This event took place in Chicago. Being a chair means she helped lead and organize the convention.
What Peggy Flanagan Believes In
Peggy Flanagan is known as a progressive Democrat. This means she supports ideas that aim to improve society and protect people's rights.
She is a strong supporter of Indigenous peoples' rights. When she was a legislator, she helped create a group to study Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. As lieutenant governor, she created the first Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office in the country. This office helps families find missing loved ones.
She also worked on laws to help families with childcare. She supported bills for employers to offer childcare and for the state to help pay for childcare.
Flanagan supports the rights of transgender people. She believes in providing health care that helps transgender youth. She supported an order by Governor Walz that protects access to this type of care.
Personal Life
Peggy Flanagan has a daughter from her first marriage. She lives in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. She is Catholic and attends St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church.
In September 2019, she married Tom Weber. He used to be a news host for Minnesota Public Radio.
Sadly, Flanagan's brother, Ron Golden, passed away in 2020. He died from COVID-19.
Awards and Recognition
In February 2020, the National Congress of American Indians gave Peggy Flanagan an award. It was called the Native American Leadership Award. She received it for her work to raise awareness about Native American issues. She also worked to improve the lives of Indigenous people.
See also
In Spanish: Peggy Flanagan para niños
