Historic firsts for Native American women in U.S. midterm elections

Native American women secured groundbreaking victories for Indigenous representation in Tuesday's U.S. midterm elections, as Deb Haaland was elected governor of New Mexico and Peggy Flanagan won a U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota.

Haaland, a member of Laguna Pueblo, is the first Native American woman elected governor of a U.S. state, while Flanagan, who is Ojibway and a member of White Earth Nation, is the first Native American woman elected to the U.S. Senate. Both victories came as Democrats swept to control of both chambers of Congress.

Haaland has made history before. In 2018, she became one of the first two Native American women elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and in 2021 she became the first Native American to serve as a U.S. cabinet secretary when she was appointed secretary of the interior. Her campaign for governor focused on affordability, economic security and environmental protections, including a proposed moratorium on large-scale data centres.

Celebrating Tuesday night at a casino hotel on Laguna Pueblo land outside Albuquerque, Haaland reflected on her family's history in New Mexico. "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," she said. "Yet … we are still here."

She also had a message for young people watching from rural communities and reservations: "I want every child watching to know that your dreams matter … Here in New Mexico, we can do anything."

Flanagan served in the Minnesota House of Representatives before becoming the state's lieutenant governor in 2019. Her Senate campaign emphasized tribal sovereignty, the federal government's treaty and trust responsibilities to tribal nations and the rising cost of living. She will bring an Indigenous woman's perspective to the upper chamber, which makes federal laws, represents state interests and confirms federal judges and senior government officials.

Speaking to Indigenous news outlets Wednesday morning, Flanagan said the significance of her victory was not lost on her. "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, adding that Native people have long shaped electoral outcomes and are now running for office and winning: "it's probably about time."

Wab Kinew, premier of Manitoba, which borders Minnesota, congratulated Flanagan on social media Wednesday, hailing Democrats for "absolutely dominating Trump in the midterms" and calling the result a resounding rejection of the president's actions over the past two years. Flanagan signalled interest in strengthening cross-border relationships and said she looks forward to working with Kinew to deepen ties between Manitoba and Minnesota.

Haaland and Flanagan were among a record number of Indigenous candidates in the 2026 midterms. Data from Advanced Native Political Leadership, shared with CBC News, counted at least 359 Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian candidates running across 36 states this year, compared with 268 across 25 states in 2024. Jordan James Harvill, senior director of the Indigenous-led organization, which trains aspiring political leaders, said the victories reflect a growing movement. "Native women are already the glue of our communities to begin with," said Harvill, a Cherokee Nation citizen and Choctaw Nation descendant.

In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola, a Yup'ik former congresswoman who in 2022 became the first Alaska Native elected to Congress, remained in an undecided Senate race against Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. Alaska is still counting ballots under its 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, while Sharice Davids, a member of Ho-Chunk Nation, won re-election to the U.S. House in Kansas, where she and Haaland became the first two Native American women elected to Congress in 2018.