Minnesota Democratic Senate nominee Peggy Flanagan is highlighting the possibility of becoming the first Native American woman in the U.S. Senate, a pitch that has drawn attention to and revived scrutiny of a past controversy involving one of her prominent endorsers, Senator Elizabeth Warren.

Flanagan, an Ojibwe and member of the White Earth Nation, stated in a fundraising email that "in almost 250 years, there’s never been a Native woman serving in the US Senate. It’s time to change that." She added, "Right now, there are no Native voices in the US Senate. If I win this race, we can change that."

Flanagan's campaign has emphasized her tribal affiliation and her clan's guiding principle of "never leave anyone behind." The Senate campaign is seen by some observers as a significant step towards greater Native American representation in national politics.

However, Flanagan's emphasis on Native representation has also brought renewed attention to Senator Warren's long-standing claims of Native American identity. Throughout her career, Warren identified herself as Native American, including listing "American Indian" on a Texas bar registration card and in an Association of American Law Schools directory. These claims became a significant political issue, particularly during her presidential campaign.

Since 2019, Warren has walked back her previous statements, clarifying that she is not a person of color nor a citizen of a tribe. She has stated that she should not have identified herself as an American Indian. This shift in her narrative has been a point of contention for critics.

Conservative commentators and social media users have reacted to Flanagan's fundraising email, with some noting the irony of Warren endorsing a campaign that implicitly contrasts with her own past statements on Native identity. Posts on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) have referred to the situation with phrases such as "arrows fired" and have included AI-generated images depicting Warren in Native American attire.

President Donald Trump had previously labeled Warren "Pocahontas" in reference to her ancestry claims. A genetic test in 2018 indicated Warren was between 0.1% and 1.6% Native American. Warren supported Flanagan in Minnesota's Democratic Senate primary.

The Flanagan campaign and Warren's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.