List of Native Americans in the United States Congress

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Map of all four congressional districts represented by Native Americans at the beginning of the 118th Congress. One of Oklahoma's two senators is also a Native American. Native Americans in US House.svg
Map of all four congressional districts represented by Native Americans at the beginning of the 118th Congress. One of Oklahoma's two senators is also a Native American.

This is a list of Native Americans with documented tribal ancestry or affiliation who are in the U.S. Congress.

Contents

All entries on this list are related to Native American tribes based in the contiguous United States. There are Native Hawaiians who have served in Congress, but they are not listed here because they are distinct from North American Natives.

Only two Native Americans served in the 115th Congress: Tom Cole (serving since 2003) and Markwayne Mullin (served from 2013 until 2023), both of whom are Republican Representatives from Oklahoma. On November 6, 2018, Democrats Sharice Davids of Kansas and Deb Haaland of New Mexico were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and the 116th Congress, which commenced on January 3, 2019, had four Native Americans. Davids and Haaland are the first two Native American women with documented tribal ancestry to serve in Congress. At the start of the 117th Congress on January 3, 2021, five Native Americans were serving in the House, the largest Native delegation in history: Cole, Mullin, Haaland and Davids were all reelected in 2020, with Republican Yvette Herrell of New Mexico elected for the first time in 2020. The number dropped back down to four on March 16, 2021 when Haaland resigned her House seat to become Secretary of the Interior.

On August 16, 2022, Mary Peltola, a Yup'ik woman, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to represent Alaska, becoming the first person with documented Native Alaskan ancestry to serve in Congress. This returned the number of the Native delegation to five, with a partisan split of three Republicans and two Democrats. This also marked the first time that a Native American, Native Alaskan, and Native Hawaiian (Kai Kahele) simultaneously served in Congress.

Following the November 2022 elections, incumbents Cole (R-OK), Davids (D-KS) and Peltola (D-AK) all retained their seats, while Cherokee Republican Markwayne Mullin retired from the House and was elected to the Senate: Mullin became the first Native senator since the retirement of Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) in 2005, and his House seat was won by Choctaw Republican Josh Brecheen. [1] In the same election, Yvette Herrell lost her seat due to redistricting, which drew litigation over alleged political gerrymandering; [2] as such, Native Americans in the 118th Congress remain five, four in the House and one in the Senate. The partisan split is three Republicans and two Democrats. The states represented by Native members of Congress also dropped from four to three with Herrell's defeat in New Mexico.

Entries shaded in blue refer to current members of the U.S. Congress.

Senate

  Denotes incumbent

PictureSenator
(lifespan)
Tribal ancestryStatePartyTerm startTerm endNotes
Charles Curtis-portrait.jpg Charles Curtis
(1860–1936) [3]
Kaw,
Osage,
Potawatomi
Flag of Kansas (1927-1961).svg Kansas Republican January 29, 1907January 3, 1913Was not reelected after Democrats won control of the Kansas Legislature in 1912
March 4, 1915March 4, 1929Resigned after being elected Vice President
Sen. Robert Latham Owen, half-length portrait, facing right LCCN95514693 (cropped).jpg Robert Owen
(1856–1947)
Cherokee Flag of Oklahoma (1911-1925).svg Oklahoma Democratic December 11, 1907March 4, 1925Retired
BenNCampbell.jpg Ben Nighthorse Campbell
(born 1933)
Northern Cheyenne Flag of Colorado.svg Colorado Democratic (1993–1995)January 3, 1993January 3, 2005Retired
Republican (1995–2005)
Markwayne Mullin official Senate photo.jpg Markwayne Mullin
(born 1977)
Cherokee Flag of Oklahoma.svg Oklahoma Republican January 3, 2023Incumbent

Histograph

The histograph below sets forth the number of Native Americans who served in the United States Senate during the periods provided.

StartingTotalGraph
January 29, 19071
December 11, 19072❚❚
January 3, 19131
March 4, 19152❚❚
March 4, 19251
March 4, 19290 
January 3, 19931
January 3, 20050 
January 3, 20231

House of Representatives

  Denotes incumbent

PictureRepresentative
(lifespan)
Tribal ancestryStatePartyTerm startTerm endNotes
CURTIS, CHARLES. HONORABLE LCCN2016856330 (cropped).jpg Charles Curtis
(1860–1936)
Kaw,
Osage,
Potawatomi
Flag of Kansas.svg Kansas Republican March 4, 1893January 28, 1907Resigned to become U.S. Senator from Kansas
CharlesDCarter.jpg Charles Carter
(1868–1929)
Chickasaw Flag of Oklahoma (1911-1925).svg Oklahoma Democratic November 16, 1907March 4, 1927Lost renomination
WilliamWHastings.jpg William Hastings
(1866–1938)
Cherokee Flag of Oklahoma (1911-1925).svg Oklahoma Democratic March 4, 1915March 4, 1921Lost reelection
March 4, 1923January 3, 1935Retired
Will Rogers, Jr.JPG Will Rogers Jr.
(1911–1993)
Cherokee Flag of California.svg California Democratic January 3, 1943May 23, 1944Resigned to join the U.S. Army
STIGLER, William Grady.jpg William Stigler
(1891–1952)
Choctaw Flag of Oklahoma (1941-1988).svg Oklahoma Democratic March 28, 1944August 21, 1952Died in office
Ben Reifel.jpg Ben Reifel
(1906–1990)
Rosebud Lakota Flag of South Dakota (1963-1992).svg South Dakota Republican January 3, 1961January 3, 1971Retired
Clem McSpadden.jpg Clem McSpadden
(1925–2008)
Cherokee Flag of Oklahoma (1941-1988).svg Oklahoma Democratic January 3, 1973January 3, 1975Retired to run unsuccessfully for the nomination to the 1974 Oklahoma gubernatorial election
Ben Campbell.jpg Ben Nighthorse Campbell
(born 1933)
Northern Cheyenne Flag of Colorado.svg Colorado Democratic January 3, 1987January 3, 1993Retired to run successfully for the 1992 United States Senate election in Colorado
Brad carson23.jpg Brad Carson
(born 1967)
Cherokee Flag of Oklahoma (1988-2006).svg Oklahoma Democratic January 3, 2001January 3, 2005Retired to run unsuccessfully for the 2004 United States Senate election in Oklahoma
Rep-Tom-Cole-117thCong.jpeg Tom Cole
(born 1949)
Chickasaw Flag of Oklahoma.svg Oklahoma Republican January 3, 2003IncumbentLongest serving Native American in the House [4]
Markwayne Mullin, 117th Congress portrait.jpg Markwayne Mullin
(born 1977)
Cherokee Flag of Oklahoma.svg Oklahoma Republican January 3, 2013January 3, 2023Retired to run successfully for the 2022 United States Senate special election in Oklahoma
Sharice Davids.jpg Sharice Davids
(born 1980)
Ho-Chunk Flag of Kansas.svg Kansas Democratic January 3, 2019IncumbentFirst LGBT Native American elected
Deb Haaland official portrait, 116th congress 2.jpg Deb Haaland
(born 1960)
Laguna Pueblo Flag of New Mexico.svg New Mexico Democratic January 3, 2019March 16, 2021Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the Interior
Yvette Herrell official photo, 117th Congress.jpg Yvette Herrell
(born 1964)
Cherokee Flag of New Mexico.svg New Mexico Republican January 3, 2021January 3, 2023Lost Reelection [5]
Mary Peltola Congressional Member Portrait (2).jpeg Mary Peltola
(born 1973)
Yup'ik Flag of Alaska.svg Alaska Democratic September 13, 2022IncumbentFirst Alaska Native elected to Congress
Rep. Josh Brecheen official photo, 118th Congress.jpg Josh Brecheen
(born 1979)
Choctaw Flag of Oklahoma.svg Oklahoma Republican January 3, 2023Incumbent

Histograph

The histograph below sets forth the number of Native Americans who served in the United States House during the periods provided.

StartingTotalGraph
March 4, 18931
January 28, 19070 
November 16, 19071
March 4, 19152❚❚
March 4, 19211
March 4, 19232❚❚
March 4, 19271
January 3, 19350 
January 3, 19431
March 28, 19442❚❚
May 23, 19441
August 21, 19520 
January 3, 19611
January 3, 19710 
January 3, 19731
January 3, 19750 
January 3, 19871
January 3, 19930 
January 3, 20011
January 3, 20032❚❚
January 3, 20051
January 3, 20132❚❚
January 3, 20194❚❚❚❚
January 3, 20215❚❚❚❚❚
March 16, 20214❚❚❚❚
September 13, 20225❚❚❚❚❚
January 3, 20234❚❚❚❚

Cherokee delegates to the United States House of Representatives (not seated)

Political party

   Democratic

Cherokee delegates to the United States House of Representatives
Delegate–elect Congressional district TribeYear Designated Party Congress Notes
Kimberly Teehee
(born 1968)
Cherokee delegate Cherokee Nation 2019 Democratic 116th
117th
118th
Appointed by Chuck Hoskin Jr. in August 2019 and approved unanimously by committee. Teehee was not seated during the 116th Congress or in any subsequent Congress.
Victoria Holland Cherokee delegate United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians 2021 117th
118th
Appointed by committee in 2021. Holland was not seated in the 117th Congress and has not been seated in any subsequent Congress.

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References

  1. "Native candidates headed for Congress after midterms". Cherokee Phoenix . Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  2. "New Mexico Supreme Court considers gerrymandering question". KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. 2023-01-09. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  3. First Native American popularly elected to the Senate
    Served as President pro tempore and Majority Leader
  4. Press Pool. "Cole becomes longest serving Native American in the House, proud of his record as a champion for Indian Country". indiancountrytoday.com.
  5. Slacik, Sophia (2022-10-24). "New Mexico election results: Democrat Gabe Vasquez ousts Republican Rep. Yvette Herrell". Fox News. Retrieved 2022-11-10.