by Antonia Gonzales
Whichever party wins the governor seat in Minnesota in November, a Native American woman will be the lieutenant governor. The top vote-getters in each party have Native American female running mates.
Tim Walz and Peggy Flanagan secured the Democratic nomination. Flanagan is a citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe. In a speech thanking supporters after Tuesday’s primary, Flanagan took a moment to acknowledge history in the making.
“I do want to also just note this historic moment. There will be two Native women running for lieutenant governor of Minnesota,” Flanagan said to rousing applause. “So, Donna Bergstrom, here we go sister.”
Bergstrom is candidate Jeff Johnson’s running mate. They won the Republican primary for governor. She is a member of the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe.
Native women in the 2018 political season are seeing primary election victories across the country. Paulette Jordan is the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Idaho. Two Native women also won Democratic nominations for congressional seats: Deb Haaland in New Mexico and Sharice Davids in Kansas. In Wisconsin, Ho-chunk Nation member Arvina Martin lost the primary in the secretary of state’s race to incumbent Democrat Doug La Follette.
