Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate for her state, speaks during an Aug. 11 primary election night party in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)
By Samuel Proctor October 21, 2026 at 2:12pm
Minnesota Democratic Senate Nominee Peggy Flanagan said she “graduated Phi Beta Kappa” from the University of Minnesota.
However, a Wall Street Journal report cast doubt on the claim, prompting Flanagan’s campaign to acknowledge that she was never inducted.
In 2016, then-Rep. and now Lt. Gov. Flanagan stood before the Minnesota House and affirmed, “I graduated Phi Beta Kappa.”
Phi Beta Kappa is often considered the nation’s most prestigious academic honors society. However, the Wall Street Journal reported. Flanagan’s commencement program does not list any academic honor under her name.
Phi Beta Kappa admission at the University of Minnesota requires a 3.65 GPA, yet the University of Minnesota acknowledges Latin honors down to 3.5.
Flanagan received none of these.
In response to this apparent discrepancy, the Wall Street Journal asked Flanagan’s campaign on Oct. 12 to provide proof of her membership.
Does lying to voters preclude you from holding office?
Eight days later, campaign spokeswoman Alexandra Fetissoff responded, acknowledging that Flanagan never belonged to Phi Beta Kappa:
“The lieutenant governor was nominated for Phi Beta Kappa, but like too many other students, she couldn’t afford the application fees to become a part of the honor society,” Fetissoff said.
The Wall Street Journal could not verify this claim and responded by pointing out that “[t]he current lifetime membership fee at the University of Minnesota is $99, although it was likely considerably less more than two decades ago,” and that “[m]any chapters also waive the fee or make other accommodations in cases of financial hardship.”
Additionally, the commencement program also revealed that Flanagan graduated with only one major, child psychology, even though her official government biography reportedly implied a double major:
“She earned her bachelor’s degree in American Indian studies and child psychology” in 2002 from the University of Minnesota, the news outlet quoted, though the government link they provided now reads, “She earned her bachelor’s degree in child psychology and a minor in American Indian studies.”
These accusations of lying coincide with a recent rise in the polls for Republican challenger and sideline reporter Michele Tafoya.
According to Tafoya, Minnesota voters almost always mention fraud first in conversation. “They feel lied to, which they were. They feel stolen from, which they were,” she said. “People are so angry, and they’re even angrier no one in the government has been held accountable.”
Democrats have held the contested seat since 2009, but analysts note that Lt. Gov. Flanagan’s proximity to Governor Tim Walz may hurt the campaign.
Her Democratic primary opponent, Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., said as much during a Minnesota Public Radio debate. “The lieutenant governor, even as we sit here today, continues to take absolutely no accountability for any of the fraud issues, and she continues to blame the governor,” Craig said. “And I’m going to be honest: It’s pissing me off.”
MPR reported Craig saying that “Flanagan has shirked responsibility for fraud that took root while she served as second in command in state government alongside Gov. Tim Walz.”
Tafoya has made government accountability central to her platform, quoting Minnesota’s standing in national news: “We have become a national punchline.”
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Samuel Proctor is a first year student at Iowa State University, studying political science and writing for the Iowa State Daily. His specialization in political theory and philosophy led him to join The Western Journal in 2026. When not writing, Samuel can be found playing guitar and praising Jesus.
