More than 50 Indigenous candidates appear on ballots in six-state primary elections
Indigenous candidates sought offices ranging from local school boards and county positions to governor and state legislatures
More than 50 Indigenous candidates appeared on primary election ballots June 2 in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota, according to reporting by ICT and Advance Native Political Leadership's Indigenous candidate database. The database identified 52 Indigenous candidates running for offices ranging from school boards and county positions to state legislatures and governor.
In an important race in New Mexico, Deb Haaland of Laguna Pueblo sought the Democratic nomination for governor. Haaland previously served as secretary of the Department of the Interior and was the first Native American to lead a cabinet-level federal agency. Montana had 20 Indigenous candidates on the ballot, while New Mexico had 16 and South Dakota had seven, according to the ICT reporting.
- 1.Kalle Benallie. ICT, .
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