List of Native American politicians facts for kids

This article is about Native American politicians in the United States. These are people with Native American heritage who have served in the government, whether at the national, state, or city level.

Being Native American can mean different things. It often involves having Native American or Alaska Native family. Legally, it can mean being a member of a tribe that the government recognizes. Each tribe has its own rules for who can be a member. Sometimes, people are included on this list if their family history and culture show they are Native American, even if they aren't officially enrolled in a tribe.

Federal Government Leaders

This section lists Native American politicians who have worked in the United States federal government. This includes roles in the President's team (executive branch) and in Congress (legislative branch).

Working with the President

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
Peter Pitchlynn		1806–1881	Choctaw Nation	Independent	Choctaw Ambassador to the U.S., 1845–1861, 1866–1881
				National Union
				Independent
Ely Parker		1828–1895	Tonawanda Seneca	Independent	Commissioner of Indian Affairs for President Ulysses S. Grant
Charles Curtis		1860–1936	Kaw/Osage/Potawatomi	Republican	U.S. Vice President, 1929–1933
Ben Reifel		1906–1990	Rosebud Lakota	Republican	Interim Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 1976–1977
Wilma Victor		1919–1987	Choctaw Nation	Republican	Special assistant to Secretary of the Interior Rogers Morton, 1971–1975
Ada Deer		1935–2023	Menominee	Democratic	Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, 1993–1997
Neal McCaleb		1935–	Chickasaw Nation	Republican	Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, 2001–2003
Ross Swimmer		1943–	Cherokee Nation	Republican	Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, 1985–1989; Special Trustee for American Indians
Larry Echo Hawk		1948–	Pawnee Nation	Democratic	Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, 2009–2012
Michael Burrage		1950–	Choctaw Nation	Independent	Choctaw Ambassador to the U.S., 1974–1994, 2001–present
David W. Anderson		1953–	Choctaw/Ojibwe	Republican	Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, 2004–2005
Marilynn Malerba		1953–	Mohegan	Democratic	U.S. Treasurer, 2022–present
Kevin Gover		1955–	Pawnee Nation	Democratic	Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, 1997–2001
Deb Haaland		1960–	Laguna Pueblo	Democratic	U.S. Secretary of the Interior, 2021–present
Arvo Mikkanen		1961–	Kiowa Nation	Democratic	U.S. Assistant Attorney for Western Oklahoma since 1994
Karina Walters		1964–	Choctaw Nation	Democratic	Director of Tribal Health Research Office at the National Institutes of Health, 2023–present
Carl J. Artman		1965–	Oneida	Republican	Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, 2007–2008
Keith Harper		1965–	Cherokee Nation	Democratic	U.S. representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council, 2014–2017
Kimberly Teehee		1966–	Cherokee Nation	Democratic	White House Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs, 2009–2012
Kevin K. Washburn		1967–	Chickasaw Nation	Democratic	Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, 2012–2016
Tara Sweeney		1973–	Arctic Slope Iñupiat	Republican	Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, 2018–2021
Jack Jackson, Jr.			Navajo Nation	Democratic	Liaison to Secretary John Kerry, U.S. Department of State
Bryan Newland			Bay Mills Chippewa	Democratic	Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, 2021–present
Jeannie Hovland			Santee Dakota Sioux	Republican	Commissioner of the Administration for Native Americans; Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native American Affairs
Roselyn Tso			Navajo Nation	Democratic	Director of the Indian Health Service, 2022–present

Serving in Congress

State Government Leaders

This section lists Native American politicians who have served in state governments across the U.S.

Alaska State Leaders

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
Albert P. Adams		1942–2012	Inupiaq	Democratic	State representative 1981–1989, state senator 1989–2001
Billy Akers		1947–		Republican	State representative 1977–1979
Charles G. Anderson		1929–2022	Aleut	Republican	State representative 1981–1983
Nels A. Anderson, Jr.		1939–	Yup’ik	Democratic	State representative 1975–1981, state senator 1982–1983
Bill Beltz		1912–1960	Inupiaq	Democratic	Territorial representative 1949–1951, territorial senator 1951–1959, state senator and president of the state senate 1959–1960
Ray Christiansen		1922–1998	Yup’ik	Democratic	State representative 1961–1967, state senator 1967–1973
Joseph Chuckwuk		1948–	Yup’ik	Democratic	State representative 1981–1983
John E. Curtis		1915–1999	Inupiaq	Republican	State representative 1959–1961
Larry T. Davis		1930–2006	Inupiaq	Democratic	State representative 1975–1977
Chuck Degnan		1941–	Inupiaq	Democratic	State representative 1971–1975
Frank Degnan		1901–1980		Democratic	Territorial representative 1951–1953
Bryce Edgmon		1961–	Yup'ik	Democratic	State representative 2007–present, speaker of the state house 2017–2021
				Independent
Charles Fagerstrom		1905–1962	Inupiaq	Democratic	Territorial representative 1953–1957, state representative 1959–1961
Frank R. Ferguson		1939–2003	Inupiaq	Democratic	State representative 1971–1975, state senator 1975–1986
				Independent
Neal Foster		1972–	Inupiaq	Democratic	State representative 2009–present
Richard Foster		1946–2009	Inupiaq	Democratic	State representative 1989–2009
Charles Franz		c. 1910–1996		Democratic	State representative 1959–1961
Phillip Guy		1941–2011	Yup’ik	Democratic	State representative 1973–1981
Willie Hensley		1941–	Inupiaq	Democratic	State representative 1967–1971, state senator 1971–1975 and 1987–1989
Adelheid Herrmann		1953–	Dena'ina	Democratic	State representative 1983–1989
Jimmy Hoffman		c. 1925–1982	Yup’ik	Republican	State representative 1959–1961
Lyman Hoffman		1950–	Yup’ik	Democratic	State representative 1987–1991 and 1993–1995, state senator 1991–1993 and 1995–present
Andrew Hope		1896–1968	Tlingit	Democratic	Territorial representative 1945–1953 and 1957–1959, state representative 1959–1963
Eben Hopson		1922–1980	Inupiaq	Democratic	Territorial representative 1957–1959, state senator 1959–1967
Jimmy Huntington		1916–1987	Koyukon	Independent	State representative 1975–1977
Percy Ipalook		1906–1990	Inupiaq	Republican	Territorial representative 1949–1951, territorial senator 1951–1955
Brenda Itta		1943–	Inupiaq	Democratic	State representative 1975–1977
Ivan M. Ivan		1945–	Yup’ik	Democratic	State representative 1991–1993 and 1995–1999
George Jacko		1959–	Aleut	Democratic	State representative 1989–1993, state senator 1993–1995
			Dena'ina
			Yup’ik
Arthur D. Johnson		1920–1961		Republican	State representative 1961
Axel C. Johnson		1911–1985	Yup’ik	Democratic	State representative 1959–1961 and 1963–1967
Frank G. Johnson		1894–1982	Tlingit	Republican	Territorial representative 1947–1955 and 1957–1959
Frank L. Johnson		c. 1904–	Inupiaq	Republican	Territorial representative 1949–1951
Grace A. Johnson		1924–2004	Inupiaq	Republican	State representative 1962–1963
Reggie Joule		1952–	Inupiaq	Democratic	State representative 1997–2012
Sam Kito III		1964–	Tlingit	Democratic	State representative 2014–2019
Albert Kookesh		1948–2021	Tlingit	Democratic	State representative 1997–2005, state senator 2005–2013
Jacob Laktonen		1917–1996	Alutiiq	Republican	State representative 1973–1975
Loren Leman		1950–	Alutiiq	Republican	State representative 1989–1993, state senator 1993–2002, lieutenant governor 2002–2006
Georgianna Lincoln		1943–	Gwich'in	Democratic	State representative 1991–1993, state senator 1993–2005
John Lincoln		1981–	Inupiaq	Democratic	State representative 2018–2021
				Independent
Don Long		1944–	Inupiaq	Democratic	State representative 1996–1997
Jerry Mackie		1962–	Haida	Democratic	State representative 1991–1997, state senator 1997–2001
				Republican
Eileen MacLean		1949–1996	Inupiaq	Democratic	State representative 1989–1995
Byron Mallott		1943–2020	Tlingit	Democratic	Commissioner of community and regional affairs 1972–1974, lieutenant governor 2014–2018
				Independent
Beverly Masek		1963–	Deg Hit'an	Republican	State representative 1995–2005
Charisse Millett		1964–	Inupiaq	Republican	State representative 2009–2019
Martin B. Moore		1937–2022	Yup’ik	Democratic	State representative 1971–1973
Carl M. Morgan		1950–	Yup’ik	Republican	State representative 1999–2005
Carl E. Moses		1929–2014	Aleut	Alaskan Independence	State representative 1965–1973 and 1993–2007
				Democratic
				Republican
Benjamin Nageak		1950–	Inupiaq	Democratic	State representative 2013–2017
Alfred Nakak		1947–2000	Inupiaq	Democratic	State representative 1977–1979
Ed Naughton		1930–2002		Democratic	State representative 1971–1977
Irene Nicholia		1956–	Koyukon	Democratic	State representative 1993–1999
John Nusunginya		1927–1981	Inupiaq	Democratic	State representative 1959–1963
Donny Olson		1953–	Inupiaq	Democratic	State senator 2001–present
Alvin Osterback		1915–2005		Democratic	State representative 1975–1981
Justin Parish		1980–	Tinglit	Democratic	State representative 2017–2019
Josiah Patkotak		1994–	Inupiaq	Independent	State representative 2020–present
Moses Paukan		1933–2017	Yup’ik	Democratic	State representative 1968–1971
William Paul		1885–1977	Tlingit	Republican	Territorial representative 1925–1929 (first Alaska Native legislator)
Frank Peratrovich		1895–1984	Tlingit	Democratic	Territorial representative 1945–1947, territorial senator 1947–1951 and 1957–1959, delegate and first vice president of constitutional convention 1955–1956, state senator 1959–1967, president of the state senate 1961–1965, state representative 1969–1973
Larry Peterson		1939–	Gwich'in	Democratic	State representative 1973–1975
John Sackett		1944–2021	Koyukon	Republican	State representative 1967–1971, state senator 1973–1987
Woodie Salmon		1952–	Gwich'in	Democratic	State representative 2005–2011
Mary Sattler		1973–	Yup’ik	Democratic	State representative 1999–2009
Leo Schaeffer		1947–	Inupiaq	Democratic	State representative 1977–1981
Frank See		1915–1998	Tlingit	Democratic	State representative 1965–1969
Martin Seversen		1925–1979			State representative 1977
Jake Stalker		1917–c. 2008	Inupiaq	Democratic	State representative 1961–1967
Bill Thomas		1947–	Tlingit	Republican	State representative 2005–2013
Tony Vaska		1948–	Yup’ik	Democratic	State representative 1981–1985
Kay Wallis		1944–	Gwich'in	Democratic	State representative 1985–1991
Tim Wallis		1940–	Gwich'in	Democratic	State representative 1975–1977
Jerry Ward		1948–	Alaskan Athabaskan	Alaskan Independence	State representative 1983–1985, state senator 1997–2003
				Republican
James K. Wells		1906–1979	Inupiaq	Democratic	Territorial representative 1951–1953
John Westdahl		1918–1968	Yup’ik	Democratic	State representative 1967–1968
Dean Westlake		1960–	Inupiaq	Democratic	State representative 2017
Alfred Widmark		1904–1989	Tlingit	Republican	State representative 1961–1963
Bill K. Williams		1943–2019	Tlingit	Democratic	State representative 1993–2005
				Republican
Jules W. Wright		1933–2022	Gwich'in	Republican	State representative 1967–1969
Fred Zharoff		1944–2001	Alutiiq	Democratic	State representative 1979–1985, state senator 1985–1997
Tiffany Zulkosky		1984–	Yup’ik	Democratic	State representative 2018–present

Arizona State Leaders

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
Carlyle Begay			Navajo	Democratic	State senator 2013–2017
				Republican
Jennifer D. Benally			Navajo	Democratic	State representative 2015–2017
Wenona Benally			Navajo	Democratic	State representative 2017-2019
Jasmine Blackwater-Nygren			Navajo	Democratic	State representative 2020–2023
Domingo DeGrazia			Cherokee	Democratic	State representative 2019–2023
Eric Descheenie			Navajo	Democratic	State representative 2017–2019
Chris Deschene			Navajo	Democratic	State representative 2009–2011
Luis A. Gonzalez			Pascua Yaqui	Democratic	State senator, 1979–1986
Sally Ann Gonzales		1957–	Pascua Yaqui	Democratic	State representative 1997–2001 and 2011–2019
Tom Gordon			Hualapai	Republican	State representative 1999–2001
Albert Hale		1950–2021	Navajo	Democratic	State senator 2004–2011; State representative 2011–2021
Benjamin Hanley		1941–	Navajo	Democratic	State representative, 1973–1998
Theresa Hatathlie			Navajo	Democratic	State Senator for AZ District 6, 2023-present
James Henderson Jr.		1942–	Navajo	Democratic	State senator, 1985–1999
Arthur J. Hubbard Sr.		1912–2014	Navajo, Tohono Oʼodham	Democratic	State senator 1972–1984
Lloyd House		1931–2015	Navajo, Oneida	Democratic	State representative 1967–1968
Jack Jackson, Jr.			Navajo	Democratic	State Senator for AZ District 2, 2011–2013, State representative 2003–2005
Jennifer Jermaine			White Earth Ojibwe	Democratic	State representative for the 18th district (2019–present)
Sylvia Laughter			Navajo	Democratic	State representative 1999–2005
				Independent
Myron Lizer			Navajo / Comanche	Republican	Vice President of the Navajo Nation
Peter MacDonald		1928–	Navajo	Republican	Chairman of the Navajo Nation (1970–1989)
Jonathan Nez		1975–	Navajo	Democratic	President of the Navajo Nation
Debora Lynn Norris			Navajo, Tohono Oʼodham	Democratic	State representative, 1997–2002
Victoria Steele			Seneca	Democratic	State representative 2013–2016, State senator 2019–2023
Arlando Teller			Navajo	Democratic	State representative 2019–2021
Albert Tom		1956–	Navajo	Democratic	State representative, 2001–2002, 2005–2008
Myron Tsosie			Navajo	Democratic	State representative 2019–present
Daniel Peaches		1940–2022	Navajo	Democratic	State representative, 1975–1984
Jamescita Peshlakai			Navajo	Democratic	State representative, 2013-2015; State senator 2017-2021
Mae Peshlakai			Navajo	Democratic	State representative, 2023-present
Peterson Zah		1937–2023	Navajo	Democratic	Special Adviser to ASU President on American Indian Affairs

Arkansas State Leaders

California State Leaders

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
Todd Gloria		1978–	Tlingit–Haida	Democratic	State assemblyman (2017–2020)
James C. Ramos		1967–	Serrano / Cahuilla	Democratic	San Bernardino Community College Board (2005–12), San Bernardino County Supervisor (2012–2018), State Assemblymember (2018–present)

Colorado State Leaders

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
Ben Nighthorse Campbell		1933–	Northern Cheyenne	Democratic	Member of the Colorado House of Representatives (1983–1987)
				Republican

Idaho State Leaders

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
Joseph R. Garry		1910–1975	Coeur d'Alene	Democratic	State representative (1956–1960)
Jeanne Givens		1951/52–	Coeur d'Alene	Democratic	State representative (1985–1989)
Larry Echo Hawk		1948–	Pawnee Nation	Democratic	Attorney General of Idaho (1991–1995)
Paulette Jordan		1979–	Coeur d'Alene	Democratic	State representative (2014–2018)

Illinois State Leaders

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
Donne E. Trotter		1950–	Choctaw	Democratic	State senator (1993–2018); State representative (1988–1993)

Kansas State Leaders

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
Ponka–We Victors		1981–	Ponca–Tohono O'odham	Democratic	State representative, 2011–present
Stephanie Byers		1963-	Chickasaw	Democratic	State representative, 2021-2023
Christina Haswood		1994-	Navajo	Democratic	State representative, 2021-present

Kentucky State Leaders

Maine State Leaders

Massachusetts State Leaders

Michigan State Leaders

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
Cora Reynolds Anderson		1882-1950	Chippewa	Republican	State representative (1924-1925)
Adam Hollier		1985–	Muscogee Creek Nation	Democratic	State senator (2018–2022)

Minnesota State Leaders

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
Susan Allen		1963–	Rosebud Lakota	Democratic	State representative (2012–2019)
Jamie Becker–Finn			Leech Lake Ojibwe	Democratic	State representative (2017–present)
Harold "Skip" Finn		1948–2018	Leech Lake Ojibwe	Democratic	State senator (1991–1996)
Peggy Flanagan		1979–	White Earth Band of Ojibwe	Democratic	Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota (2019–present); State representative (2015–2019)
Steve Green		1960–	White Earth Band of Ojibwe	Republican	State representative (2013–2023); State senator (2023–present)
Mary Kelly Kunesh–Podein		1960–	Standing Rock Lakota	Democratic	State representative (2017–2021); State senator (2021–present)

Mississippi State Leaders

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
Greenwood LeFlore		1800–1865	Mississippi Choctaw	Whig	State representative, State senator (1841–1844)
Phillip Martin		1926–2010	Mississippi Choctaw	Republican	Tribal Chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (1979–2007)

Montana State Leaders

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
Dolly Akers		1901–1986	Assiniboine	Democratic	State representative, 1933–1934
Jade Bahr		1988–	Northern Cheyenne	Democratic	State representative, 2019–2021
Barbara Bessette			Chippewa Cree	Democratic	State representative, 2018–present
Norma Bixby		1941–	Northern Cheyenne	Democratic	State representative, 2000–2008
Margarett Campbell		1954–	Assiniboine	Democratic	State representative, 2004–2011
Bill Eggers			Crow	Democratic	State representative, 1998–2003
Bob Gervais		1931–	Blackfeet Nation	Democratic	State representative (1989–1993)
George Heavy Runner		1955–	Blackfeet Nation	Democratic	State representative, 1995–1998
Joey Jayne		1957–	Navajo	Democratic	State representative, 2001–2009
Carol Juneau		1945–	Mandan and Hidatsaa	Democratic	State representative (1998–2007); State senator (2007–2011)
Denise Juneau		1967–	Mandan and Hidatsaa	Democratic	Superintendent of Public Instruction (2009–2017)
Carolyn Pease–Lopez			Crow	Democratic	State representative (2008–2016)
Leo Kennerly Jr.		1936–1980	Blackfeet Nation	Democratic	State representative (1977–1979)
Roland Kennerly		1934–2004	Blackfeet Nation	Democratic	State representative (1981–1987)
Gary Kimble		1942–2022	Gros Ventre	Democratic	State representative (1972–1978)
George Kipp III			Blackfeet Nation	Democratic	State representative (2015–2019)
G. Bruce Meyers		1948–	Chippewa–Cree	Republican	State representative (2015–2017)
Shane Morigeau		1984–	Confederated Salish and Kootenai	Democratic	State representative (2017–2021); State senator (2021–present)
Alvin Not Afraid Jr.			Crow	Republican	Chairman of the Crow Nation (2016–present)
Gerald Pease		1954–	Crow	Democratic	State representative (1997–1998); State senator, 2001–2009
Rae Peppers			Northern Cheyenne	Democratic	State representative (2013–2021)
Frosty Boss Ribs		1955–	Blackfeet Nation	Democratic	State Representative (2009–2011, 2013–2015)
Tyson Runningwolf			Blackfeet Nation	Democratic	Representative for Montana house district 16 (2019–present)
Angela Russell		1943–	Crow	Democratic	State representative (1987–1995)
Jason Small			Northern Cheyenne	Republican	State senator (2017–present)
Veronica Small-Eastman		1941–	Crow	Democratic	State representative, 2002–2009
Frank Smith		1942–	Assiniboine, Sioux	Democratic	State representative (1998–2004, 2011–2013); State senator (2004–2009, 2017–2021)
Sharon Stewart–Peregoy		1953–	Crow	Democratic	State senator (2009–2017); State representative (2017–present)
Jay O. Stovall		1940–2011	Crow	Republican	State representative (1992–2000)
Jean A. Turnage		1926–2015	Confederated Salish and Kootenai	Republican	State representative, State senator (1969–1983)
Bill Whitehead		1939–	Assiniboine, Sioux	Democratic	State representative (1997–1998)
Lea Whitford			Blackfeet Nation	Democratic	State senator (2015–present)
Marvin Weatherwax Jr.			Blackfeet Nation	Democratic	State representative, 2019–present
Susan Webber			Blackfeet Nation	Democratic	State representative (2015–present)
Jonathan Windy Boy			Chippewa–Cree	Democratic	State representative (2002–2008); State senator (2008–present)
Bill Yellowtail		1948–	Crow	Democratic	State senator (1985–1994)

Nebraska State Leaders

Nevada State Leaders

New Mexico State Leaders

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
Anthony Allison			Navajo	Democratic	State representative, 2019-present
James D. Atcitty		1932–2014	Navajo	Democratic	State representative, 1964–1966
Thomas Atcitty		1933–2020	Navajo	Democratic	State representative, 1981–1995
Reginald A. Begaye		c. 1944–	Navajo	Democratic	State representative, 1979–1980
Wilbert C. Begay		1939–	Navajo	Republican	State representative, 1966–1970
Ray Begaye		1954–	Navajo	Democratic	State representative, 1999–2013
Patricia Roybal Caballero			Piro-Manso-Tiwa	Democratic	State representative (2013–present)
Jake C. Chee		1907–2014	Navajo	Republican	State representative, 1966–1968
Sharon Clahchischilliage			Navajo	Republican	State representative, 2013–2018
Yvette Herrell		1964–	Cherokee	Republican	State representative, 2011–2019
Jack Jackson Sr.		1933–	Navajo	Democratic	State representative
Sandra D. Jeff		1967/68–	Navajo	Democratic	State representative, District 5
Doreen Wonda Johnson		1953–	Navajo	Democratic	State representative (2015–present)
Monroe Jymm		1933–1990	Navajo	Democratic	State representative, 1965–1967
Tom Lee		1920–1986	Navajo	Republican	State senator, 1966–1978
Derrick Lente			Sandia & Isleta Pueblo	Democratic	State representative (2013–)
Georgene Louis			Acoma Pueblo	Democratic	State representative (2013–2023)
Brenda McKenna			Nambé Pueblo	Democratic	State senator, 2021-present
Lynda Lovejoy		1949–	Navajo	Democratic	State representative, State senator, Public Regulation Commissioner
James Madalena		1948–	Jemez Pueblo	Democratic	State representative (1985–2017)
Patricia A. Madrid		1994–	Pueblo	Democratic
John Pinto		1924–2019	Navajo	Democratic	State senator, 1977–2019
Shannon Pinto			Navajo	Democratic	State senator, 2019–present
Nick L. Salazar		1929–2020	Tewa (Ohkay Owingeh)	Democratic	State representative, 1974–present
Benny Shendo			Jemez Pueblo	Democratic	State senator (2013–present)
Albert Shirley		c. 1956–	Navajo	Democratic	State representative, 1985–1992
Leonard Tsosie		1955–	Navajo	Democratic	State senator, 1993–2007
Leo C. Watchman		1937–1993	Navajo	Democratic	State representative, 1968–1979, 1983–1993
Wendell Chino		1923-1998	Apache	"Red Capitalism"	President of Mescalero Apache Nation 1965-1998

North Carolina State Leaders

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
Charles Graham		1951–	Lumbee	Democratic	State representative, 2011–2023
Jarrod Lowery		1988-	Lumbee	Republican	State representative, 2023-present
David T. McCoy		1952–	Turtle Mountain Chippewa	Democratic	State public official, State Controller, State Budget Director, and Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Transportation
Henry Ward Oxendine		1940–2020	Lumbee	Democratic	State representative, 1973–1976
Ronnie N. Sutton		1941-	Lumbee	Democratic	State representative, 1993-2011

North Dakota State Leaders

Oklahoma State Leaders

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
Bill Anoatubby		1945–	Chickasaw Nation	Democratic	Lieutenant governor for the Chickasaw Nation (1979–1987); Governor of the Chickasaw Nation (1987-Present)
Gary Batton		1966–	Choctaw Nation	Republican	Assistant Chief for the Choctaw Nation (2007–2014); Chief of the Choctaw Nation (2014-Present)
Jimmy Belvin		1900–1986	Choctaw Nation	Democratic	State representative, 1955–1961; State senator, 1955–1961
Scott Bighorse		c. 1956–	Osage Nation	Democratic	State representative, 1961–1965
Steve Burrage		1952–	Choctaw Nation	Democratic	State Auditor (2008–2011); State Tax Commissioner (2014–present)
Sean Burrage		1968–	Choctaw Nation	Democratic	Senate Minority leader (2012–2014); State senator (2006–2014); President of Southeastern Oklahoma State University (2014–2019)
Lisa Johnson Billy		1967–	Chickasaw Nation	Republican	State representative, 2004–2016
Brian Bingman		1953–	Muscogee Creek Nation	Republican	State senator (2007–2016); State representative (2005–2007); Secretary of State of Oklahoma (2020–2023)
Brad Boles		1983–	Cherokee Nation	Republican	State representative (2018–present)
Chelsey Branham			Chickasaw Nation	Democratic	State representative (2018–2020)
Josh Brecheen		1979–	Choctaw Nation	Republican	State senator (2010–2018)
Trey Caldwell		1988–	Choctaw Nation	Republican	State representative (2019–present)
Bobby Cleveland		1943-	Choctaw Nation	Republican	State representative (2012–2018)
Helen Cole		1922-2004	Chickasaw Nation	Republican	State representative (1979–1984); State senator (1984-1988, 1991-1996)
Tom Cole		1949–	Chickasaw Nation	Republican	Secretary of State of Oklahoma (1995–1999)
Doug Cox		1952–	Muscogee Creek Nation	Republican	State representative (2005–2017)
Brad Carson		1967–	Cherokee Nation	Democratic	U.S. House of Representatives (2001–2005), Undersecretary of the Army (2014–15)
William A. Durant		1866–1948	Choctaw Nation	Democratic	State representative (1907–1917); Speaker of the Oklahoma House (1911–1913)
James Dyer		1887–1951	Choctaw Nation	Democratic	State representative (1946–1951)
J. Gladstone Emery		1900–1978	Muscogee Creek Nation	Democratic	State senator (1947–1951)
Rusty Farley		1953–2011	Cherokee Nation	Republican	State representative, 2011
Scott Fetgatter		1968–	Choctaw Nation	Republican	State representative, 2016–present
Avery Frix		1994–	Choctaw Nation	Republican	State representative (2017–2022), State senator (2024–present)
William Fourkiller		1965–	Cherokee Nation	Democratic	State representative (2010–2018)
Todd Gollihare		1964–	Cherokee Nation	Republican	State Senator (2023-present)
Enoch Kelly Haney		1940–2022	Seminole Nation	Democratic	State representative (1980–1986), State senator (1986–2002)
David Hardin			Cherokee Nation	Republican	State representative (2018–present)
Keith Harper		1940–	Cherokee Nation	Democratic	U.S. representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council (2014–2017)
Erick Harris			Muscogee Creek Nation	Republican	State representative (2024–present)
LaDonna Harris		1931–	Comanche Nation	Democratic	Vice presidential candidate for the Citizens Party in 1980
				Citizens
Benjamin F. Harrison		1875–1936	Choctaw Nation	Democratic	State representative (1907–1910); Oklahoma Secretary of State (1911–1915)
David Holt		1979–	Osage Nation	Republican	State senator (2010–2018); Mayor of Oklahoma City (2018–)
Chuck Hoskin		1952–	Cherokee Nation	Democratic	State representative, 2007–2019
Shane Jett		1974–	Cherokee Nation	Republican	State representative (2004–2010); State senator (2021–present)
Fred Jordan		1974–	Cherokee Nation	Republican	State representative (2007–2015)
Dan Kirby		1946–	Muscogee Creek Nation	Republican	State representative (2009–2017)
Richard Lerblance			Muscogee Creek Nation	Democratic	State senator (2003–2012); State representative (2002–2003)
Ken Luttrell		1953–	Cherokee Nation	Democratic	State representative (2007–present)
				Republican
Wilma Mankiller		1945–2010	Cherokee Nation	Democratic	First woman elected as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation (1985–1995)
Al McAffrey		1948–	Choctaw Nation	Democratic	State representative (2007–2015)
Mark McBride		1961–	Citizen Potawatomi	Republican	State representative (2012–present)
Neal McCaleb		1935–	Chickasaw Nation	Republican	State representative (1975–1983), Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation (1995–2001)
Green McCurtain		1848–1910	Choctaw Nation	Republican	Vice President of the Sequoyah Constitutional Convention, 1905
Curtis McDaniel		1952–	Cherokee Nation	Democratic	State representative (2012–2014)
Skye McNiel		1978–	Muscogee Creek Nation	Republican	State representative, 2007–2013
Jerry McPeak		1946–	Muscogee Creek Nation	Democratic	State representative (2005–2016)
Johnston Murray		1902–1974	Of Chickasaw descent	Democratic	Governor (1951–1955)
				Republican
Harriet Wright O'Leary		1916–1999	Choctaw Nation	Republican	First woman elected to the Choctaw Tribal Council
Mike Osburn		1968–	Cherokee Nation	Republican	State representative (2016–present)
John Pfeiffer		1986–	Cherokee Nation	Republican	State representative (2014–present)
Anastasia Pittman		1970–	Seminole Nation	Democratic	State representative (2007–2013), State senator (2014–2018)
Ajay Pittman		1993–	Seminole Nation	Democratic	State representative (2019–present)
Hollis E. Roberts		1943–2011	Choctaw Nation	Democratic	State representative (1975–1979)
Seneca Scott		1977–	Choctaw Nation	Democratic	State representative (2008–2016)
Ally Seifried		1992-	Cherokee Nation	Republican	State senator (2023-present)
Dustin Roberts			Choctaw Nation	Republican	State representative (2010–present)
T. W. Shannon		1978–	Chickasaw Nation	Republican	State representative (2007–2015); Speaker of the Oklahoma House (2013–2014)
Jerry Shoemake		1943–	Cherokee Nation	Democratic	State representative (2005–2016)
Ralph Shortey		1982–	Rosebud Lakota	Republican	State representative (2011–2017)
John Sparks			Cherokee Nation	Democratic	State senator (2006–2018)
William G. Stigler		1891–1952	Choctaw Nation	Democratic	State senator (1924–1932)
Kevin Stitt		1972–	Cherokee Nation	Republican	Governor (2019–present)
Daniel Sullivan		1963–	Choctaw Nation	Republican	State representative (2004–2011)
Amanda Swope		1988–	Muscogee Creek Nation	Democratic	State representative (2022–present)
Houston B. Teehee		1874–1953	Cherokee Nation	Democratic	Mayor of Tahlequah (1907–1909); State representative (1910–1914)
Kimberly Teehee		1968–	Cherokee Nation	Democratic	White House Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs (2009–2012)
Bob A. Trent		1913–1992	Choctaw Nation	Democratic	State representative, state senator
Mark Vancuren		1964–	Cherokee Nation	Republican	State representative (2018–present)
Paul Wesselhoft		1947–	Citizen Potawatomi	Republican	State representative (2005–2017)
Collin Walke		1982–	Cherokee Nation	Democratic	State representative (2016–2023)
Cory Williams			Cherokee Nation	Democratic	State representative (2009–2019)
Tom Woods		1994-	Chickasaw Nation	Republican	State senator (2023-present)

Oregon State Leaders

Pennsylvania State Leaders

South Carolina State Leaders

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
Fawn Pedalino		1987–	Natchez-Kusso	Republican	State representative (2023-present)

South Dakota State Leaders

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
Jim Bradford		1933–2020	Oglala Sioux	Democratic	State senator (2009–2017); State representative (2001–2009)
Ed Iron Cloud III		1964–	Oglala Sioux	Democratic	State representative (2009–2012)
Jim Emery		1934–2021	Cheyenne River Sioux	Republican	State representative (1985–1986), State senator (1986–1996)
Pat Flynn		1922–1979	Lakota	Republican	State senator (1971–1973)
Red Dawn Foster			Oglala Sioux/Navajo	Democratic	State representative (2019 –present)
Troy Heinert		1972 –	Rosebud Lakota	Democratic	State representative (2013–2015), State senator (2015–Present)
Philip N. Hogen			Oglala Sioux	Republican	U.S. Attorney for South Dakota (1981–1991), Commissioner of the National Indian Gaming Commission (2002–2009)
Tamara St. John		1966 –	Dakota Sioux	Republican	State representative (2019 – )
Kevin Killer		1979 –	Oglala Sioux	Democratic	State representative (2009–2017), State senator (2017–2019)
Steve Livermont		1955 –	Oglala Sioux	Republican	State representative (2017–2021)
Ellis T. Peirce		1846–1926	Oglala Sioux	Republican	State representative (1903–1904)
Peri Pourier			Oglala Sioux	Democratic	State representative (2019-present)
Thomas Short Bull		1946–	Oglala Sioux	Democratic	State senator (1983–1988)
Theresa Two Bulls		1949–2020	Oglala Sioux	Democratic	State senator (2005–2009)
Paul Valandra		1953–	Rosebud Lakota	Democratic	State representative (1991–2000), State senator (2001–2006)
Tom Van Norman		1964–	Cheyenne River Sioux	Democratic	State representative (2000–2008)
Ron J. Volesky		1954–	Hunkpapa	Republican	State representative (1981–1986, 1993–2000), State senator (2001–2002)
				Democratic
Bruce Whalen			Oglala Sioux	Republican	Oglala Sioux tribal administrator, former chair of the Oglala Lakota County Republican Party

Tennessee State Leaders

Utah State Leaders

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
Angela Romero			Assiniboine	Democratic	State representative (2013–present)

Washington State Leaders

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
George Adams		1880–1954	Skokomish	Democratic	State representative (1933–1939), (1945–1954)
W. Ron Allen		1947—	S'Klallam	Independent	Tribal Chairman (1977-present), NCAI treasurer and president
Don Barlow		1938–2016	Ottawa	Democratic	State representative (2007–2009)
William Bishop		1861–1934	Snohomish	Republican	State senator (1919–1927), (1933–1934), State representative (1899–1903), (1905–1907), (1909–1911), (1917–1919)
Jim Dunn		1942–	Inuit	Republican	State representative (1997–2003), (2005–2009)
Claudia Kauffman		1959–	Nez Perce	Democratic	State senator (2007–2011)
Debra Lekanoff		1971–	Tlingit	Democratic	State representative (2019–)
John McCoy		1943–	Tulalip	Democratic	State senator (2013–2020), State representative (2003–2013)
Jeff Morris		1964–	Tsimshian	Democratic	State representative (1997–2020)
Chief George Pierre		1926–2011	Colville	Democratic	State representative (1965–1967)
Jay Rodne		1966–	Bad River Ojibwe	Republican	State representative (2004–2019)
Dino Rossi		1959–	Tlingit	Republican	State senator (1997–2003, 2012, 2017); Republican nominee for Governor in 2004 and 2008
Chris Stearns			Navajo Nation	Democratic	State senator (1985–1993), State representative (2022- )
Lois Stratton		1927–2020	Spokane	Democratic	State senator (1985–1993), State representative (1980–1985)
John Tennant		1830–1893	Quapaw		Territorial representative (1858–1860)

Wyoming State Leaders

Name	Image	Life	Tribe	Party	Jobs Held
W. Patrick Goggles		1952–	Arapaho	Democratic	State representative (2004–2015)
Affie Ellis		1979/1980–	Navajo	Republican	State senator (2017–present)
Andi LeBeau			Arapaho	Democratic	State representative (2019–2023)
Scott Ratliff		1943–	Eastern Shoshone	Democratic	State representative (1980–1992)

City and Town Leaders

This section lists Native American politicians who have served in city or town governments.

Arizona City Leaders

• Roberta Cano, (Navajo, Zuni Pueblo) Winslow Mayor (2021-present)

California City Leaders

• Tasha Cerda (Tohono O'odham Nation), Gardena Mayor (2017–present), City Council (2009–2013)
• Todd Gloria (Tlingit-Haida), San Diego Mayor (2020–present; 2013–2014 (acting)), San Diego City Councilman (2008–2016), San Diego City Council President (2012–2014)
• Mitch O'Farrell (Wyandotte), Los Angeles City Councilman (2013-2022), President of the Los Angeles City Council (2022)

Idaho City Leaders

• William (Bill) Weems, (Coeur d'Alene) Plummer City Council (2012–2016) Mayor (2016–present)

Maine City Leaders

• April Fournier, (Navajo) Portland, Maine Portland City Council At-Large (2021-present)

Minnesota City Leaders

• Renee Van Nett, (Leech Lake Ojibwe) Duluth City Council

New Mexico City Leaders

• April J. Silversmith, Navajo Democrat (Gallup, NM Magistrate Judge)
• Carol Bowman Muskett, Navajo Democrat (McKinley County, NM Commissioner District I)
• Genevieve Jackson, Navajo Democrat (McKinley County, NM Commissioner District II)
• Harriet K. Becenti, Navajo Democrat (McKinley County, NM Clerk)
• Thommy Nelson, Navajo Democrat (McKinley County, NM Probate Judge)
• Felix Begay, Navajo Democrat (McKinley County, NM Sheriff)
• Earnest Becenti, Navajo Democrat (Mckinley County, NM County Treasurer)
• GloJean Todacheene, Navajo Democrat (San Juan County, NM Commissioner District I)

Oklahoma City Leaders

• John Tyler Hammons (b. 1988, Cherokee Nation), mayor of Muskogee, Oklahoma (2008–2012)
• David Holt (b. 1979, Osage Nation), mayor of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (2018-present)

Utah City Leaders

• Willie Grayeyes, Navajo Democrat (San Juan County, UT Commission)
• Kenneth Maryboy, Navajo Democrat (San Juan County, UT Commission)
• Robin Troxell, Hopi Tribe of Arizona (Brigham City Councilmember)

Washington City Leaders

• Christopher Roberts, (b. 1978,) Choctaw Democrat, (Shoreline City Council (2010–present)
• Roxanne Murphy, (Nooksack) Bellingham City Council [2012–2018]
• Debora Juarez, (Blackfeet) Seattle City Council [2016–present]

Wisconsin City Leaders

• Wahsayah Whitebird, (b. 1991) Ojibwe Communist, City Council of Ashland, Wisconsin [2019-2021]
• Kristie Goforth, (Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians), Monona City Council [2020–present]

Other Important Roles

This section includes Native Americans who held other significant public or political roles.

• Diego Archuleta (1814 – 1884), Member of the Mexican Congress, soldier in the Mexican Army, and Native American Agent. He was also the first Hispanic Brigadier General.
• Fleming Begaye Sr. (1921–2019) (Navajo) – A Navajo Code Talker, and Honorary Chair of the Native American Coalition for a presidential campaign in 2016.
• Elias Cornelius Boudinot (1835–1890) (Cherokee) — Tribal Representative to the Confederate Congress, 1862–65.
• Samuel Benton Callahan (1833–1911) (Creek) — Tribal Representative to the Confederate Congress, 1864–65.
• Plenty Coups (1848–1932) (Crow) – Represented Native Americans at the dedication of the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier.
• Robert McDonald Jones (1808–1872) (Choctaw) — Tribal Representative to the Confederate Congress, 1863–65.
• Peter MacDonald (born 1928) (Navajo) – Member of a presidential re-election committee in 1972.
• Will Rogers (1879–1935, Cherokee), honorary mayor of Beverly Hills, California.
• Clarence L. Tinker (1887–1942) (Osage) – A Major General, the highest-ranking Native American officer in the Army.

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