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Anchor: Antonia Gonzales
Election Day is here. Oklahoma is poised to do something it hasn’t done in more than 100 years – send three Native Americans to serve in Congress.
Incumbent Rep. Tom Cole (Chickasaw/R-OK) is heavily favored to be re-elected to his seat.
U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin (Cherokee/R-OK) is giving up his House seat and leading in the race for U.S. Senate.
Josh Brecheen (Choctaw) is expected to win the race to fill Rep. Mullin’s seat.
All are Republicans and enrolled in Oklahoma tribes.
One incumbent in Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt (Cherokee/R-OK), faces a stiff challenge for re-election, but he has been at odds with the state’s tribes since early in his first term.
The Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, and Muscogee Nations are among the tribes that have thrown their support to his Democratic opponent.
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. calls the governor’s race the most important in the state’s history.
Gov. Stitt has clashed with tribes over state gaming compacts. He’s also aggressively pursued legal actions to limit tribal jurisdiction.
At least ten Native candidates are vying for Congressional seats in the midterms. And many more are on the ballots in local and state races.
Two Native congressional incumbents are in tight races following redistricting.
Pre-election polling shows U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell (Cherokee/R-NM) in a close race with her democratic opponent.
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids (Ho-Chunk/D-KS), who was among the first two Native women elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 is facing strong competition from her Republican challenger.
And in Alaska, U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola (Yup’ik/D-AK) has been campaigning to keep her seat.
Rep. Peltola made history this fall becoming the first Alaska Native person to ever serve in Congress.
She won the seat held by late U.S. Rep. Don Young (R-AK) in a special election.
The Democrat has broad support from Alaska Native communities and former allies of Rep. Young.
In an interview with National Native News in October, Rep. Peltola discussed serving Alaska Native and American Indian people, but also all people.
“It’s a serious job and I don’t see this as like as a stepping stone to anything else. I don’t see this as a springboard to anything else, I really just literally take this job for face value. I want to work hard for Alaskans.”
Rep. Peltola has been endorsed by the Alaska Federation of Natives, the largest statewide Native organization in Alaska.
Listen to Antonia’s interview with Rep. Peltola, which was featured during the special series “Alaska’s Native Voice”, live from #AFN2022
The race for top leader of one of the largest tribes in the United States – the Navajo Nation – is underway. Current President Jonathan Nez is facing challenger Buu Nygren.
The tribe, which has the largest reservation in the U.S. located in the Four Corners region, was hit hard by COVID-19.
Nez has led the tribe through the pandemic issuing a number of emergency measures.
Dropping mandates and fully opening the Navajo Nation are issues the candidates disagree on.
Nez says the tribe needs to continue to be cautious with COVID-19 and now with monkeypox.
“We are utilizing those lessons learned from COVID-19. Right now we are just monitoring the situation and I think eventually the government is going to have to step back because the government has taught everyone how to, what to do and what not to do.”
Nygren says the Navajo Nation is ready to fully reopen and move forward from the pandemic.
“The Navajo Nation, we’ve continued to stifle our communities, scare our people. Since I made my announcement on April 4, I said it’s about time we reopen 100%.”
As Navajo voters head to the polls, both say they’re focused on working hard for Navajo people to improve infrastructure, create jobs, and address social issues.
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