In rather expected political news, Peggy Flanagan, the current Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota, has decided she desires a greater stage and officially announced her U.S. Senate campaign recently. This followed the announcement of a no-show for reelection from Senator Tina Smith. Flanagan’s grand message to her followers is her alleged embodiment of her Ojibwe name which interprets as ‘the woman who speaks in a louder and perceptibly clear voice.’ Apparently, she desires to carry this ‘loud and clear voice’ all the way to Washington D.C., aspiring to echo it on behalf of the whole state of Minnesota.
Tracing her political track record, Flanagan has strived to maintain a reputation as a tireless defender of family issues and education. Her resume encompasses positions in the school board and state house, and of course, a spell as Lieutenant Governor. This career trajectory saw her highlighting issues around child wellbeing and family necessities, a point she evidently thinks would suffice to mark her relevancy over others in the crowded political landscape.
Interestingly, Flanagan’s decision to run was communicated via the realms of social media, because of course, what better place to announce earnest political aspiration than the echo chamber of Twitter? Here’s another trivia nugget for you: Flanagan holds the record as the nation’s highest-ranking Native woman who managed to secure an executive office. She is associated with the White Earth Band of Ojibwe and would have been the first Native American woman to take over a governor’s role, under the presumptuous premise that a Kamala Harris-Tim Walz team had any chance in the presidential election.
Peggy Flanagan’s journey to the political stage didn’t directly begin in the official offices, instead it was rooted in the Minneapolis Board of Education. From this springboard, she landed a role in the liberal training squad of Wellstone Action. Her job? Tutoring eager social justice warriors, hopefuls for electoral seats, and political operatives with the ‘correct’ progressive mindset. When Tim Walz realised he needed a palatable face to give his gubernatorial run of 2018 a left-leaning slant, Flanagan came at the right time.
During her role as Lieutenant Governor, Flanagan played key part in bringing into existence the nation’s premier Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office. Furthermore, she advocated for cost-effective childcare and accommodation services – because, of course, it’s so easy to make things affordable without considering the economic implications. Despite the complicated matters tied to the abortion issue, Flanagan has made it clear where she stands on the matter, fearlessly voicing her support for abortion rights.
Tim Walz, in a WCCO interview, couldn’t help but heap praises on Flanagan for her work as his second-in-command – a politically correct move, if nothing else. Although he was quick to laud her dedication to community representation and tribal matters, he dubiously refrained from clarifying whether she would be part of his team should he opt for yet another term. Apparently, crossing that bridge is something for their ‘successful’ team to worry about in the future.
Once it was confirmed that Senator Smith would not be clamouring for reelection, Flanagan wasted no time to harvest this political milestone. In her statement, Flanagan over-emphasized the senator’s alleged trailblazing efforts for women in politics. She even credited the departing senator for her supposed unhindered fervours to ‘defend’ the people of Minnesota and ‘organising’ for the cause.
According to Flanagan’s version of praise, Smith had supposedly championed the rights of neglected minorities, small businesses and farmers; of course, ensuring an ‘equal opportunity’ at financial success. The use of buzzwords and commendation for a leaving senator seemed like a strategic move to don the mantle of Smith herself, and a pitiful attempt at that.
Minnesota has been a blue state for quite some time, with the last Republican senator, Norm Coleman, missing out on reelection to the Democratic Farmer Labour Party’s Al Franken in a tight race back in 2008. This trend would have made Flanagan appear to have an ‘easy’ race, yet the recent political landscape shows that these preconceived notions might not work in her favour.
Surprising no one, Keith Ellison, Minnesota’s Attorney General, decided to back Flanagan in March, because why pass up an opportunity to consolidate the power of the left? His statement on this was predictable, he claimed Minnesota needed ‘fearless’ leaders like Flanagan in Washington. Something one can’t help but question: does ‘fearless’ equate to ‘far-left’?