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Christina Haswood, Navajo
(Photo courtesy of Haswood campaign)
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Updated: Democrat Christina Haswood is one of more than a
dozen Native candidates who prevailed in Tuesday's primaries. #NativeVote20
All four Native candidates running for office in Kansas won their
primary elections Tuesday, including one who is the presumptive
winner of a state House seat, and will become Kansas' youngest sitting
legislator, after no one filed to run against her in November.
Twenty-six-year-old first-time candidate Christina Haswood, Diné,
won her Democratic primary with 70 percent of the vote.
"It's still surreal," Haswood said Tuesday night. "I just want
to thank my voters for supporting me in this important election."
On Wednesday morning, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez rang
praise for Haswood.
"Change is happening with this election, and Christina Haswood
is part of that change," Nez said. "I am very proud of her and all
that she has accomplished to this point. She is truly an inspiration
to our people, especially our young people."
U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, Ho-Chunk, of Kansas, ran unopposed in
her bid for a second term in Congress, and will advance to the general
election.
She will face Amanda Adkins, former chairwoman of the Kansas Republican
Party, in November. The Republican primary was a race between five
candidates.
(National election update: Protest
leader ousts longtime member of Congress; Kansas, Arizona, Washington
results)
(Related: Sharice
Davids: 'The Native vote cannot be underestimated')
In Kansas' 86th district, Stephanie Byers, Chickasaw, won the Democratic
nomination for a state House seat. If elected in November, Byers
would be the first transgender woman in the state's Legislature.
Ponka-We Victors, Tohono O'odham and Ponca Tribe, currently serves
in the Kansas House as the only Native legislator. She won the primary
Tuesday in her bid for a sixth term.
Tuesday's primary elections included five states that were narrowing
the field in statewide and legislative races.
Indian Country Today has been following 21 Native candidates seeking
various offices Aug. 4 in Arizona, Kansas, Michigan and Washington.
As of midday Thursday, a handful of races had not been called.
Also holding a primary Tuesday was Missouri, though no Native candidates
appeared to be seeking office in that state.
Christina Haswood
@HaswoodForKS |
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What a surreal, incredible feeling to check your own name
on a ballot. I hope other young #Native
leaders will see my example and decide to do the same. #ksleg |
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7:20 PM · Jul 29, 2020·Twitter for
iPhone |
Haswood is the presumed winner of a Kansas state House seat given
that no Republican filed for candidacy in the race.
She was endorsed by Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico and Emily's
list, the nations' largest political action committee for women
in politics.
Kansas' 10th district, where Haswood won office, includes Haskell
Indian Nations University. She holds degrees from Haskell, Arizona
State University and the University of Kansas.
Haswood noted Davids inspired her to run.
"I always thought that us Natives weren't accepted in politics
here in Kansas, but then Congresswoman Davids did it," Haswood said
laughing. "And I was like, 'OK, I can do it too.'"
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Stephanie Byers for Kansas
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Byers is a recently retired schoolteacher who has taught in Oklahoma,
Arizona and Kansas.
"Having someone with a background of 32 years in the classroom
makes a huge difference," Byers said. "I realize exactly how funding
happens when it goes through the classroom door, into the student
and how it affects that student and their family."
In 2018, Byers was named National Educator of the Year by GLSEN,
an education organization dedicated to supporting students' sexual
orientation, gender identity and LGBTQ inclusion.
She is expected to face off against Republican business owner Cyndi
Howerton in November. Byers was endorsed by the Victory Fund, a
political action committee dedicated to increasing the number of
openly LGBTQ candidates.
Here are other races including Native candidates across the
country. Updated on Aug. 10, 2020:
Arizona had 11 Native candidates:
WON: Deborah Ann Begay, Navajo, Justice of the Peace, Moon
Valley
WON: Gabriella Cazares-Kelly, Tohono O'odham, Pima County
Recorder
WON: Domingo DeGrazia, Eastern Band of Cherokee, AZ House
10
WON: Sally Ann Gonzales, Pascua Yaqui, AZ Senate 3
WON: Jennifer Jermaine, White Earth Nation, AZ House 18
ADVANCES TO GENERAL: Makius Marks, Navajo, Flagstaff Unified
School District
LOST: Debbie Nez Manuel, Navajo, AZ House 26
WON: Jamescita Peshlakai, Navajo, AZ Senate 7
WON: Victoria Steele, Seneca, AZ Senate 9
WON: Arlando Teller, Navajo, AZ House 7
WON: Myron Tsosie, Navajo, AZ House 7
WON: Judy Begay, Navajo, Coconino County, Board of Supervisors
WON: Felicia French, Pascua Yaqui, AZ House 6
WON: Bernadette Kniffen, San Carlos Apache, Gila County,
Board of Supervisors
WON: Lena Fowler, Navajo, Coconino County, Board of Supervisors
Kansas has 4 Native candidates:
WON: Stephanie Byers, Chickasaw, KS House 86
WON: Sharice Davids, Ho-Chunk, U.S. House, District 3
WON: Christina Haswood, Navajo, KS House 10
WON: Ponka-We Victors, Tohono O'odham and Ponca Tribe, KS
House 103
Michigan has 1 Native candidate:
WON: Julie Dye, Pokagon Band Potawatomi Nation, Cass County
Commissioner Board 1
Washington has 5 Native candidates:
LOST: Glenda Breiler, Colville, WA House 22
Katherine Festa, Haida, Federal Way City Council
LOST: Amanda Funaro, Choctaw, Jefferson County Commission,
District 2
WON: Debra Lekanoff, Tlingit, WA House 40
WON: Raquel Montoya-Lewis, Isleta Pueblo, Washington Supreme
Court
Aliyah Chavez, Kewa Pueblo, is a reporter-producer at Indian
Country Today's Phoenix Bureau. Follow her on Twitter: @aliyahjchavez
or email her at achavez@indiancountrytoday.com
Aug. 10 update: This story has been updated to correct that
Makius Marks, Navajo, who is running for the Flagstaff Unified School
Board did not have a primary election. School board elections in
Flagstaff are nonpartisan elections and do not have primaries. Marks
automatically advances to the general election.
Aug. 6 update: This story has been updated to correct that state
Rep. Ponka-We Victors is seeking a sixth term in office.
Aug. 3 update: This story has been updated to include information
about Ponka-We Victors and that Christina Haswood has been endorsed
by Rep. Deb Haaland.
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