ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — While Tuesday’s election was a sweep for Democrats, it’s also important to acknowledge that Native voters in those contested elections were part of history, as well as those Native candidates who ran for school boards, city commission, and city councils.
Sierra Yazzie Asamoa-Tutu became the first Diné person to be on the Gallup City Council in Gallup, New Mexico. A town that borders the Navajo Nation where drivers occasionally stop when driving on the infamous U.S. Route 66 or Interstate 40, and about 30 minutes from Window Rock, the tribal nation’s capital. A little more than half of Gallup’s population is American Indian and Alaska Native, according to the census, and yet racism is a huge issue, according to multiple reports.
“I am focused on organizing at the grassroots level and listening to constituents. I’m already so humbled and honored by the stories shared with me and the faith put in me to make a difference for people’s struggles in our community,” Asamoa-Tutu said in a statement to ICT. “We have a housing crisis and a lack of accountability at the level of city leadership. How can we say we are representing our whole community when we have not a representative government?”
Asamoa-Tutu defeated Michael W. Schaaf with 60 percent of the vote, according to the unofficial results from the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office on Wednesday.
Her platform included improving infrastructure, housing and quality of life. She plans to work on reviving the Indian Hills Neighborhood Association, organizing with manufactured home parks to advocate for residents and partnering with local organizations to address behavioral health and homelessness.
She will be sworn in January 2026 as the only new member of the council.
On the other side of the country, Democrats won big seats in the governor elections in New York and Virginia. Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger won Virginia’s governor election and will be the first female governor in the state’s history.
Lauren Cordova, Taos Pueblo and Shoshone Bannock, said she voted for Spanberger. Cordova is Two Spirit and agreed with Spangberger’s pro-LGBTQ+ stance.
“I’m in a long-term committed relationship with a woman and so if something were to happen, where we couldn’t get married or we got married and then our rights weren’t recognized because of Winsome Earle-Sears’ administration, that would be pretty pretty terrible,” she told ICT.
Cordova has lived in Alexandria, Virginia, for more than 25 years. She said that it’s difficult to be an Indigenous voter in the state because there is little to no representation in public office and the elected officials don’t pay attention to the Indigenous population in Virginia.
Kelly Gee, the secretary of the commonwealth, serves as the governor’s liaison to the seven federally recognized tribes in Virginia.
Cordova hopes that Spanberger will be cognizant of the Indigenous population in the state.
“If there were more Native representation within the state legislature, that would make a difference [and] if Spanberger were to really invest in building up whatever her Indian affairs department is going to look like,” she said.
About 16 Indigenous candidates from the ICT and Advance Native Political Leadership database won their seats.
Ten women were reelected and are listed below.
Colorado
- Leila Baker, Diné and Southern Ute, was reelected to the Ignacio School District School Board in Colorado.
New Mexico
- Christina Aspaas, Diné, was reelected as school board member on the Central Consolidated School District Board of Education in New Mexico.
- Taylor Pinto, Diné, was reelected to the Cuba Independent Public Schools School Board in New Mexico.
- Penny Vigil, Jemez Pueblo, was reelected to the Jemez Valley School District School Board in New Mexico.
- Mildred Lementino, Zuni, was re-elected to the Zuni Public Schools Board of Education in New Mexico.
Utah
- Clarissa Williams, Diné, was reelected to the South Salt Lake City Council in Utah.
Washington state
- Janine Ledford, Makah, was reelected to the Cape Flattery School District 401 in Washington.
- Patricia Jolene Marchand, Confederated Tribes of the Cornville Reservation, was reelected to the Nespelem School Board in Washington.
- Jenny Slagle, Yakama Nation and Northern Arapaho, was reelected to the Spokane Public Schools Board of Directors in Washington.
- Lia Frenchman, Quinault, was reelected to the Taholah School District School Board in Washington.
Six Indigenous men also won their seats again.
New Mexico
- Ben Woody Jr., Diné, was reelected to the Bloomfield School District School Board in New Mexico.
- Jerome Hoskie, Zuni, was reelected to the Zuni Public Schools Board of Education in New Mexico.
- New candidate Edwin J. Begay, Diné, won his seat on the University of New Mexico Gallup Advisory Board in New Mexico.
North Carolina
- Channing Jones, Lumbee, was reelected to the Pembroke Town Council in North Carolina.
Washington state
- Christopher Roberts, Choctaw, was reelected to the Shoreline City Council in Washington. Jeremy Wilbur, Swinomish, was reelected to the La Conner Schools School Board in Washington.
- Ricky Sherwood, Spokane Tribe of Indians, was reelected to the Wellpinit School District School Board in Washington.
About 11 Indigenous candidates lost their elections.
Colorado
- Renée Chacon, Diné, lost the Commerce City Council election in Colorado.
- Christine Baker Sage, Southern Ute, lost the Ignacio School District School Board election in Colorado.
Montana
- Shawn White Wolf, Northern Cheyenne Tribe, lost the Helena City Commission election in Montana.
North Carolina
- Melissa Locklear, Lumbee, lost the Pembroke Town Council election in North Carolina.
- Larry McNeill, Lumbee, lost the Pembroke Town Council election in North Carolina.
New Mexico
- Veronica Tso, Diné, lost the Bloomfield School District School Board election in New Mexico.
- Timaris Montano, Navajo, lost the Mayor of Gallup election in New Mexico.
- Titus J. Nez, Diné, lost the Gallup-McKinley County Schools Board of Education election in New Mexico.
- Charles Long, Diné, lost the Gallup-McKinley County Schools Board of Education election in New Mexico.
- Lyndon Tsosie, Diné, lost the Mayor of Gallup election in New Mexico.
New York
- Braiden McElhany, Seneca Nation, lost the Orchard Park Town Council in New York.
Too close to call
There are four election results that are too close to call and ICT will be updating this story as results come in or when they are certified.
- Alyssa Begay, Diné, for the Farmington Municipal Schools School Board in New Mexico.
- LaTrisha Suggs, Jamestown S’Klallam, for the Port Angeles City Council in Washington.
- Laura Canfield, Yakama, for the Toppenish City Council in Washington.
- Bob Iyall, Nisqually, for the Olympia Port Commission in Washington.
This story has been updated to include a statement from Sierra Yazzie Asamoa-Tutu.