‘Business as usual’: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan steps into governor role while Walz away

Lt. Gov. Flanagan, center, along with Sen. Amy Klobuchar, left, and other lawmakers broke ground to celebrate the start of construction on a section of I-94 in Monticello on Aug. 16, 2024. Photo by Michelle Griffith/Minnesota Reformer.

MONTICELLO — Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan on Friday attended a celebration in Monticello to mark the start of construction on I-94 from Albertville to Monticello, and Gov. Tim Walz’s absence was palpable.

“I want to be very clear — the governor is still the governor,” Flanagan said with a laugh to the crowd of lawmakers and city government officials.

Since Walz was announced as Kamala Harris’ vice presidential pick earlier this month, Flanagan said little has changed.

Flanagan will now be attending more mundane groundbreakings and funding announcements — duties typical of a Minnesota governor — in Walz’s stead, though she’s done plenty of that already during her time in office.

“We’ve been governing together for almost six years, so a lot of the day to day remains the same,” Flanagan said. “I’ve picked up a meeting or two on behalf of the governor, but mostly it’s kind of business as usual … and so I think that’s what Minnesota’s can expect.”

Friday’s event, facilitated by the I-94 West Corridor Coalition, marked the start of construction on the interstate expansion to six lanes, three in each direction. In 2023, the Department of Transportation allocated $78 million to the project through the state’s Corridors of Commerce program. It also received a $3 million federal appropriation last year. The goal is to reduce traffic and eliminate the constant bottlenecks common on that stretch of the interstate.

The event started about 30 minutes late because Flanagan and Sen. Amy Klobuchar were stuck in I-94 West traffic.

If Walz is elected vice president in November, Flanagan would become America’s first Indigenous governor and Minnesota’s first woman governor. Flanagan said she’s not thinking about the historic nature of her potential governorship, but she’s excited Minnesota is receiving national attention.

Ensuring Harris gets elected and that Democrats maintain control of the Minnesota Legislature are her top priorities from now until November, Flanagan said.

When asked what her first action would be if she becomes governor, she shut the conversation down.

“It’s way too premature to talk about any of that,” Flanagan said. “But I will tell you this: No one should be surprised that our top priority has been making Minnesota the best place in the country to raise a family. That certainly wouldn’t change.”