Two Native Women Win Historic Seats in U.S. Midterms

Deb Haaland and Peggy Flanagan secured landmark victories on Tuesday, becoming the first Native American women elected as a state governor and a U.S. senator, respectively. Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo, won the governorship in New Mexico. Flanagan, an Ojibway member of the White Earth Nation, claimed a U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota. These wins occurred as Democrats regained control of both chambers of Congress.

Haaland has held national office before. She served in the U.S. House of Representatives starting in 2018 and was appointed secretary of the interior in 2021, making her the first Native American cabinet secretary. Her gubernatorial campaign centered on affordability, economic security, and environmental protections, including a proposed moratorium on large-scale data centers.

On Tuesday night, Haaland celebrated at a casino hotel on Laguna Pueblo land near Albuquerque. She connected her win to the history of her family and the community. "Just off this road, my grandmother was taken away to boarding school, and along with my grandfather, survived through a time where the federal government attempted to strip them of their languages, traditions, and identities," Haaland said. "Yet … we are still here." She told young viewers that their dreams matter and that New Mexico can achieve anything.

Flanagan previously served in the Minnesota House of Representatives and held the office of lieutenant governor from 2019. Her Senate campaign focused on tribal sovereignty, federal treaty responsibilities, and the cost of living. She will serve in the upper chamber, which writes federal laws, represents state interests, and confirms federal judges and senior officials.

Speaking to Indigenous news outlets on Wednesday, Flanagan acknowledged the weight of her new role. "I absolutely understand the responsibility that I have as an Anishinaabekwe as a member of the United States senate, to ensure that we are working to make sure the federal government upholds treaty rights and trust responsibilities," she said. She noted that Native people have long influenced electoral outcomes and are now winning elected positions, stating, "it's probably about time."

Wab Kinew, the premier of Manitoba, congratulated Flanagan on social media on Wednesday. He described the Democratic performance as a rejection of the president's actions over the past two years. Flanagan expressed interest in strengthening cross-border ties and said she looks forward to working with Kinew to deepen the relationship between Minnesota and Manitoba.

Data from Advanced Native Political Leadership shows that at least 359 Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian candidates ran across 36 states in the 2026 midterms. This number surpasses the 268 candidates across 25 states recorded in 2024. Jordan James Harvill, senior director of the organization, described the wins as evidence of a growing movement. Harvill, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and descendant of the Choctaw Nation, said, "Native women are already the glue of our communities to begin with."

Other Indigenous candidates also sought office this cycle. In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola, a Yup'ik former congresswoman, remains in an undecided Senate race against Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. Ballot counting continues under the state's ranked-choice system, with results expected by the end of November. In Oklahoma, Chickasaw candidate N'kiyla Jasmine Thomas lost her Senate bid to Republican Kevin Hern. In Kansas, Sharice Davids, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, won re-election to the U.S. House.