No, Governor Tim Walz Did Not Select a New Minnesota Flag Due to Its Resemblance to the Somali Flag

In February 2023, the Minnesota Legislature formed the State Emblems Redesign Commission. The commission was created to design and adopt a new state flag after Native American groups deemed the existing seal offensive.

By May 11, 2024, Minnesota officially adopted a new flag design. However, viral social media posts falsely claimed that Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz chose the new flag to resemble the flag of Somalia.

A post that received over 860K views claimed, “Kamala Harris’s VP choice, Tim Walz, is the governor who just changed the Minnesota flag so it could resemble the Somalian flag.”

The Question

Did Tim Walz choose a new Minnesota flag because it resembled the flag of Somalia?

The Answer

No, Tim Walz did not choose the new Minnesota flag because it resembled the flag of Somalia. Walz was not involved in the flag selection process, and any resemblance to the Somali flag is coincidental.

What We Found

Tim Walz’s involvement was limited to signing the legislation that created the State Emblems Redesign Commission. The commission was responsible for selecting the new flag, not Walz.

It is noteworthy that Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the United States. Still, the similarities between the two flags are coincidental, according to the Minnesota Historical Society Library.

In September 2023, the commission began its work. They launched a flag design contest that attracted over 2,500 submissions from the public. Ultimately, the commission selected 24-year-old Andrew Prekker’s design for the new state flag. Tim Walz did not serve on this commission in any capacity.

Prekker emphasized that the design focuses on the state’s symbolism. He stated, “While I was visually inspired by the simplicity and popularity of state flags like New Mexico, Colorado, and Tennessee, all of my symbolic inspiration came from Minnesota itself with emphasis on embracing the history, significance, and uniqueness of our state while also finding the experiences that all Minnesotans share and connect with.”

The navy blue on the flag signifies Minnesotan identity, resembling the “Minnesota Blue” in the state government’s brand portal, and geographically outlines Minnesota. The light blue in the flag symbolizes the significance of water to the state. The white eight-pointed star on the left side of the flag represents the northern star, reflecting Minnesota’s state motto, L’Etoile du Nord, meaning “star of the north.”

The flag of Somalia features a different shade of blue and a white five-pointed star in its center, known as the “Star of Unity,” symbolizing the five regions where Somali natives reside.

Prekker’s initial flag design received criticism for its perceived similarity to the Puntland region of Somalia’s flag. The original design included a northern star and white, green, and light blue stripes. However, these elements were modified in the final version by removing the green and white stripes and changing the star.

Earlier this year, news outlets debunked claims that either design mirrored the flags of Somalia or Puntland.