Two Native American women made history Tuesday night in the 2026 midterm elections, winning a Senate seat and a governorship — both firsts for Native women — as
across the country.
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both → make → country
In New Mexico,
Deb Haaland was elected governor, making her the first Native American woman elected to lead a U.S. state.
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her → elect → state
In Minnesota, Lt. Gov. became the first Native American woman senator.
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Gov. → become → Minnesota
Haaland, a citizen of Laguna Pueblo, was already the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary.
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Haaland → serve → secretary
She defeated Republican Gregg Hull, former mayor of Rio Rancho, in the race for governor.
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She → defeat → governor
Flanagan, an enrolled member of White Earth Nation, defeated Republican Michele Tafoya, a former sports broadcaster and conservative commentator.
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Flanagan → defeat → Tafoya
Haaland has notched many firsts.
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Haaland → notch → firsts
She became the first Native American woman to chair a state political party in 2015 when she was elected to lead the Democratic Party of New Mexico.
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she → become → Mexico
In 2018, she became one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress, alongside Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas, who was reelected Tuesday.
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who → become → Kansas
Haaland later served as former President Joe Biden's Interior secretary from 2021 until January 2025.
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Haaland → serve → January
On the trail, she spoke about raising her daughter alone, selling homemade salsa and relying at times on food stamps.
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she → speak → stamps
"My story is a lot like many New Mexicans — humble beginnings," she told a Rio Rancho congregation in October.
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she → tell → October
Flanagan got her start as an organizer, then served on the Minneapolis School Board and led the Children's Defense Fund Minnesota.
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Flanagan → get → Fund
She was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2015 and has been lieutenant governor since 2019, where she has helped reshape Minnesota's relationship with the state's 11 tribal nations.
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she → elect → nations
Raised by a single mother in Section 8 housing, Flanagan had childhood asthma that kept her in and out of hospitals.
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that → raise → hospitals
She's been an outspoken supporter of Medicaid, saying that it "saved [her] life."
What do they stand for?
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they → say → What
Haaland ran on the cost of living, protecting New Mexico's Universal Child Care program and overhauling its child welfare system.
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Haaland → run → system
She also blamed President Trump for
.
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She → blame → Trump
She has promised to issue an executive order on day one to pause the construction of new large-scale data centers until the state Legislature passes guardrails.
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Legislature → promise → guardrails
Flanagan drew on her own upbringing to connect with voters who are feeling financially squeezed.
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who → draw → voters
She ran as a progressive, backing "Medicare for All" and national paid family and medical leave.
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She → run → All
"Minnesota, you just beat Donald Trump again," Flanagan told supporters on Tuesday night at her election watch party in St. Paul, where White Earth leaders played a victory song on a drum.
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leaders → beat → drum
Why does it matter?
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it → matter → ?
The National Congress of American Indians, the country's oldest and largest association of tribal governments, called the wins historic milestones for Indian Country.
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Congress → call → Country
Native American women make up approximately 1% of the U.S. population, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, but have long been underrepresented in elected office.
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women → make → office
"Long before Native women were welcomed into the halls of government, they were leading our Nations, protecting our families, and shaping the future of Indian Country," NCAI Executive Director Larry Wright Jr. said in a statement to CBS News.
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Jr. → welcome → News
"For young Native girls across Indian Country, these victories send an important message: their voices matter, their leadership is essential, and they belong wherever possibilities are reimagined," said Wright.
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Wright → send → message
He added that he hopes that representation translates into "meaningful progress," in particular, protecting tribal lands and honoring treaty obligations between the U.S. government and tribal nations.
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representation → add → government
A third Native American woman could soon join Haaland and Flanagan in making history this midterm election.
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woman → join → history
In Alaska, Democrat
, who is Yup'ik, is in a Senate race with incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan that remains a toss-up, according to CBS News estimates.
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that → remain → estimates
The outcome may not be decided until ranked-choice tabulation later this month.
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outcome → decide → tabulation
The Aporia
