Peggy Flanagan could make history for Native American women in November. She’s not the only one.
politics
Three Native American women could make history this November. On Tuesday, Minnesota Democrats nominated Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan as their Senate nominee—Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, could become the first Native American woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate. In New Mexico, former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a Laguna Pueblo member, won the Democratic nomination for governor, and in Alaska, former Representative Mary Peltola is running for an open Senate seat. Per The 19th, Native American women comprise about one and a half percent of the population but have been historically shut out of elected office—reaching proportional representation in Congress would require at least seven Native American women serving there, compared to just one today. Flanagan and her peers have centered violence against Native women and tribal treaty protections in their campaigns, issues she says she'll prioritize in Washington.
Source: https://19thnews.org/2026/08/election-2026-native-women-r...
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