The Wall Street Journal is raising questions about Peggy Flanagan's academic record, and whether or not she lied about graduating Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest and most prestigious honor society. Unfortunately for Flanagan, her academic records contradict this claim, which she used to push for more diversity in Minnesota schools. Flanagan attended the University of Minnesota, where she studied psychology and graduated in on May 19, 2002.
Minnesota’s Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Peggy Flanagan said she “graduated Phi Beta Kappa,” but records raise questions about the claim. 🔗 https://t.co/jyvZGcKy6E pic.twitter.com/PzxAHiRXU5
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) October 21, 2026
Peggy Flanagan said she “graduated Phi Beta Kappa” while arguing a decade ago for legislation to encourage greater teacher diversity in Minnesota’s public schools.
Now the state’s lieutenant governor and Democratic U.S. Senate nominee, Flanagan was a Minnesota House member when she said college teaching diversity transformed her from a high-school graduate with a 1.75 grade-point average to a University of Minnesota honors student.
“Everything changed, there was a switch, something clicked,” Flanagan said during a March 2016 legislative hearing. “I graduated Phi Beta Kappa because I saw myself reflected in my teacher and I saw myself reflected in my curriculum.”
Phi Beta Kappa was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary to recognize high scholastic achievement in the liberal arts and sciences. Only 10 percent of graduating seniors from select universities are invited to join Phi Beta Kappa.
At the University of Minnesota, the minimum GPA requirement for Phi Beta Kappa is 3.85 for juniors and 3.65 for seniors. According to the program for Flanagan's graduation, did not graduate summa cum laude (minimum GPA of 3.75 and requiring a summa thesis), magna cum laude (requiring a minimum GPA of 3.66), or even cum laude (requiring a minimum GPA of 3.5 for the last 60 credits of the undergraduate program) That means she was not in the top 10 percent of graduating seniors.
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It turns out Flanagan was lying.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Alexandra Fetissoff, a Flanagan campaign spokeswoman, later admitted in a statement that Flanagan never belonged to Phi Beta Kappa, but claims she was nominated for the organization.
"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 in that statement.
But that statement doesn't hold up to scrutiny either. According to HonorSociety.org, the fees for Phi Beta Kappa were somewhere between $50 and $99 in 2005 — after Flanagan graduated. Flanagan couldn't afford $100 to join the organization?
Flanagan's official state bio also contains a lie. It implies she double majored in American Indian Studies and Child Psychology, but the commencement program lists her major only as child psychology.
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) October 21, 2026Minnesota was once known to be the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" but now it is know as the "Land of 10,000 Frauds."
Count Peggy Flanagan amongst the fraudsters.
"Minnesota’s Democratic U.S. Senate Nominee Inflated Academic Record" pic.twitter.com/LAMaJBHPQS
And Flanagan admits she did it to push a political agenda on Minnesota schools, saying it helped her see the importance of diversity in the classroom.
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) October 21, 2026
You know the fraud is bad when The Wall Street Journal can't ignore it. That brings up another question: if Flanagan lied about her academic record, what else is she lying about?
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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