Minnesota Democrat Admits Never Joined Phi Beta Kappa
Senate nominee Peggy Flanagan admits she never belonged to Phi Beta Kappa, as race tightens.
2 min read
Minnesota Democrat Senate nominee Peggy Flanagan has admitted she never belonged to Phi Beta Kappa, the prestigious academic honor society, despite previously claiming she graduated with membership. The revelation came after The Wall Street Journal requested verification of her Phi Beta Kappa status, prompting her campaign to acknowledge the mistake.
Claim of Academic Achievement Under Scrutiny
Flanagan, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor and the Democrat nominee for the Senate seat held by retiring Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), made the Phi Beta Kappa claim during a March 2016 legislative hearing. She argued that representation in classrooms could transform academic performance, citing her own experience as a turning point.
“Everything changed, there was a switch, something clicked,” Flanagan said at the hearing. “I graduated Phi Beta Kappa because I saw myself reflected in my teacher and I saw myself reflected in my curriculum.”
Race Tightens as Accountability Becomes Central Theme
The admission comes as Flanagan faces Republican Michele Tafoya, a former NFL sideline reporter, in a Senate race that has become more competitive than Democrats initially expected. Cook Political Report shifted the race from “Likely Democrat” to “Lean Democrat,” reflecting the growing uncertainty.
Tafoya, who is running for public office for the first time, has kept the contest close. Recent polls have placed the candidates within four points of one another, and the race could prove consequential as Democrats attempt to net four seats necessary to reclaim Senate control.
Tafoya has made accountability a central theme of her campaign, particularly in response to the massive fraud scandals involving Minnesota’s public benefits programs. During the only debate between the candidates, Tafoya hammered Flanagan over the state’s failure to adequately oversee taxpayer-funded programs during the administration of Democrat Gov. Tim Walz. Flanagan avoided direct accountability, citing Walz’s statement that “the buck stops with me.”
Academic Record and Public Identity Under Scrutiny
The University of Minnesota commencement program for Flanagan’s graduating class of 2002 does not list her among its honors students. The university’s Phi Beta Kappa GPA threshold for seniors is 3.65. The Journal also found that Flanagan’s official biography on the Minnesota state government website implies she earned a double major in American-Indian studies and child psychology. Her campaign acknowledged that she graduated with a major in child psychology and a minor in American Indian studies.
Flanagan has previously described struggling academically in high school, citing a 1.75 GPA before her experience at the University of Minnesota helped turn her academic performance around. Her account of that transformation has featured in her advocacy for greater teacher diversity. During the 2016 hearing, she argued that representation in the classroom could help students see themselves reflected in their education, as she claimed it helped her.
Flanagan, whose father is Ojibwe, has made her Native American heritage part of her public identity. Two years after graduating from college, she ran for the Minneapolis School Board, presenting herself as a potential first Native American member of the board.
Source: Daily Wire
