Record 13 Native candidates seek public office in Minnesota
At least 13 Indigenous candidates are running for office statewide in Minnesota
At least 13 Indigenous candidates are running for public office in Minnesota ahead of the 2026 primary elections, nearly doubling the number who ran in 2022, according to ICT and data collected with Advance Native Political Leadership. The candidates represent eight tribal nations and include Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a citizen of the White Earth Nation, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate.
Holly Cook Macarro, a citizen of the Red Lake Nation, told ICT the increase reflects growing Native political engagement in Minnesota. If elected in November, Flanagan would become the first Native American woman elected to the U.S. Senate and the fifth Native American to serve in the chamber, according to U.S. Senate archives. The remaining Native candidates are running for offices ranging from city council and school board to the Minnesota Legislature and Congress.
- 1.Amelia Schafer. Record number of Natives on Minnesota ballot. ICT, .
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