Native American/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Women in Elective Office

CAWP added Alaska Native as a category of self-identification in our data collection starting in 2019 and Native Hawaiian as a category for self-identification in our data collecting starting in 2021, limiting our ability to report historical information about these specific groups of women. We continue to refine this data by providing current officeholders the opportunity to update their racial identification with us in light of these additional categories.

For more information on CAWP’s historic and current collection of race/ethnicity data, please see our methodological statement. For more information on historical milestones in women’s political representation, please see CAWP’s “Milestones for Women in American Politics.”

Women who self-identify as more than one race/ethnicity are included on CAWP pages for each group with which they identify. We strongly caution against adding totals from each racial/ethnic group should, as it will double count officeholders. To conduct more detailed calculations, users should refer to CAWP’s Women Elected Officials Database or contact CAWP staff directly.

American Indian or Alaska Native women are 1.1% of the total U.S. population and 2.2% of the U.S. population of women, according to the U.S. Census. Using these data to compare to percentages reported on this page should account for differences between U.S. Census and CAWP categorizations, with the U.S. Census using this categorization and separating out Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander as a separate category.

Notable Firsts/Facts

• Sharice Davids (D-KS) and Deb Haaland (D-NM) were the first Native American/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian women to serve in the U.S. Congress. They both identify as Native American. Davids has served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019 to present. Haaland served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021.
• No Native American/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian woman has served in the U.S. Senate.

Notable Firsts/Facts

• Sandy Garrett (D-OK) was the first Native American/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian woman to serve in statewide elective executive office, serving as Oklahoma’s Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1991 to 2011. She identified as Native American and was a Cherokee citizen.
• Valerie Davidson (Ind-AK) was the first Alaska Native woman to serve in statewide elective executive office, serving as Alaska’s Lieutenant Governor from October to December 2018. She is an enrolled tribal member of the Orutsararmiut Native Council.
• No Native American/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian woman has ever served as governor in the U.S.

Notable Firsts/Facts

• Cora Belle Reynolds Anderson (R-MI) was the first Native American to serve in state legislative office, serving in the Michigan State House of Representatives from 1924 to 1925.