A Harris-Walz victory would also mean that the state would become the first Native American female governor in the country’s history.

Flanagan has been the nation’s highest-ranking Native American state official since being elected lieutenant governor in 2018. That position is often handled behind the scenes, but Walz and Flanagan said they have chosen to govern as partners instead. Their administration has strengthened government-to-government relationships with Minnesota’s tribal nations, and many in Indian Country see Flanagan as a key figure in a new era of politics with Native women at the forefront.

Flanagan said President Joe Biden made the difficult decision to step down and let Harris take his place as the Democratic presidential nominee.

“He created a space for a woman of color to lead. And honestly, that’s what Tim Walz did for me,” she said.

Her elevation to governor would solidify her standing with Native women leaders, including Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Congresswoman Shaurice Davids and a growing list of Native women serving in state legislatures.

Thirty-six female state legislators identifying as Native American were elected to office nationwide in 2023, a record, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.

When Flanagan was first elected to the state House of Representatives in 2015, there were significantly fewer Indigenous women in positions of power.

“For my daughter and many other young Indigenous people, their reality today is very different than the one I grew up in,” Flanagan said. “Representation matters.”

The number of Native women in the Minnesota Legislature has doubled since she took office — from two to four — and Flanagan said having more people from underrepresented groups is the “secret recipe” for better governance.

“It allowed us to speak for ourselves in the room and be in a situation where, quite frankly, decisions had to be made at our table in a way that had never happened before,” she said.

Flanagan met Walz when she worked at an organization that provided grassroots training for progressive political candidates. She helped prepare Walz, a social studies teacher, for his first congressional race, and the two became close friends and political allies. He later chose her as his running mate, supporting her numerous efforts to amplify Native voices in state government.

Walz was the first Minnesota governor to make diplomatic trips to the state’s 11 tribal nations. An executive order he issued in 2019 requires state agencies to consult with tribal governments, undergo training to improve those relationships and hire liaisons to work directly with tribal partners.

Louise Matson, executive director of the Division of Indian Work, a nonprofit that supports urban Native Americans, attributes those achievements to Flanagan’s influence.

Flanagan grew up in Minneapolis, an urban center for Native activism, including the American Indian Movement. Those who know her well say she has always focused on improving the lives of Native people, especially children.

Matson, also a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, worked with Flanagan more than 20 years ago when she was a recent college graduate who landed her first job as an advocate for Indigenous families in the public education system. Matson recalls that Flanagan was determined and not afraid to face challenges.

“I don’t know if she always felt this confident, but I liked the fact that she took on the job right away, even though she had to navigate a system that wasn’t always friendly to our employees,” Matson said.

Just a few years later, Flanagan ran for the Minneapolis Board of Education. There, she met Robert Lilligren, another member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe and the first person of Native American descent elected to the Minneapolis City Council. Lilligren said she turned to him for campaign advice.

“I thought to myself, ‘This woman could be governor someday. Hell, she could be president someday.’ I mean, she was just impressive,” Lilligren said.

Flanagan’s work on Walz’s executive order requiring tribal consultation in state departments underscored her political influence and tenacity. The order increased Native visibility and respect for tribal sovereignty, Lilligren said.

“That’s because Peggy is there,” he said.

Flanagan’s father, the late White Earth activist Marvin Mannypenny, spent many years campaigning for Indigenous land rights, which included holding his own tribal government accountable. He often said that Indigenous people have an inalienable right to govern themselves, and Flanagan said she incorporates that into much of the work she does today.

“He was a brawler and a troublemaker, and an expert on our tribal constitution,” she said. “He taught me to have a seat at the table and to speak the truth, even if it makes people uncomfortable.”