Democrat Sharice Davids, a member of Wisconsin’s Ho-Chunk Nation tribe, defeated four-term Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder in Kansas on Tuesday.
Democrat Deb Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe running in New Mexico’s First Congressional District, also won her election.
Leading up to the 2020 presidential election, pollsters and demographers talked about the potential impact of the Native American vote on the outcome of the race, especially in key battleground states like Arizona and Nevada, where, three days after the election, votes are still being counted. Also discussed in the lead-up to the election was the difficulty that many Native Americans face in registering to vote and in casting their ballots. Decades of denying this population access to the polls via the systematic violation of their right to vote has led, historically, to lower voter turn-out among Native Americans. (The Library of Congress traces Native Americans’ struggle for voting rights, and the ABA documents how the Native American vote continues to be suppressed.)
Although many still don’t feel entirely welcome at the polls, and efforts to increase Native American voter participation are ongoing, the number of Native Americans elected to national political office is growing. In Tuesday’s election, more Native Americans were elected to Congress than ever before. Six candidates won their races, giving the House a record number of Native members, including Democrats in Kansas (Sharice Davids) and New Mexico (Deb Haaland), who became the first Native American women elected to Congress. This historic achievement, decades in the making, may expand paths of access to the polls for a population of voters long denied their fundamental American right, and inspire Native Americans with political aspirations to seek office in future elections.
In November, as we celebrate Native American Heritage Month at the Harris County Law Library, Ex Libris Juris will highlight the achievements and contributions of Native Americans throughout history. Visit often in the coming weeks to learn more!