Nika Bartoo-Smith 
Underscore Native News + ICT

Voters will head to the polls Tuesday, Aug. 4 for primaries in Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia and Washington state. Across four of those states, Native candidates can be seen all across the ballot.

In Kansas, Sharice Davids, Ho-Chunk Nation, is running to continue her service in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 3rd Congressional District. She was first elected to this position in 2019. If reelected, this will be her fifth term. 

A Democrat, she has shared that her main priorities if reelected will include protecting access to healthcare and reproductive rights, lowering the everyday cost of living and to “push back against special interests and extreme politics in Washington that are driving up costs and making life harder for Kansas families,” according to a press release. 

Davids has one challenger in the primary, Sarah Peru, who is running as a progressive Democratic candidate. 

Voting hours in Kansas vary by county and polling location. The Kansas Secretary of State says it’s best to check with the local election officer of your local polling location for hours on Tuesday. 

Native candidates in Michigan primaries 

Diop Harris, Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi has a wide platform of issues including abolishing ICE, workers rights, universal healthcare and tribal sovereignty.

In Michigan, running for the U.S. House of Representatives in district 4 are two Native candidates on Democratic ballot. 

Two Potawatomi candidates facing off in Michigan primary

Sean McCann, Citizen Potawatomi Nation, has a platform that covers protecting water, investing in public education, protecting reproductive freedom and securing borders while also holding immigration officers accountable. 

If Harris or McCann win the primary, they will face either incumbent Rep. Bill Huizenga, Republican, who is running for reelection or his opponent, Philip Tanis, Republican, in the Aug. 4 primary

There are three races happening in Michigan with Native candidates that ICT will be watching, according to the ICT and Advance Native Political Leadership database.

  • Melissa Perron, Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, running for Michigan House of Representatives, District 107
  • Diop Harris, Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi, U.S. House of Representatives, District 4
  • Sean McCann, Citizen Potawatomi Nation, U.S. House of Representatives, District 4

Allie Greenleaf Maldonado, Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians, is running for Michigan Court of Appeals in district 4. The Aug. 4 primary for this seat was canceled so Greenleaf Maldonado advanced to the general election on Nov. 3. 

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time on Tuesday, according to the Michigan Secretary of State website. 

Native candidates in Missouri primaries 

In Missouri, Justice Horn, Blackfeet Nation, is running for the district 1 at-large seat in the Jackson County Legislature.

His priorities include property taxes, creating a countywide transit system, starting a guaranteed jobs program and building transit corridors that create more affordable housing, according to his campaign website. 

Horn is running against incumbent Jalen Anderson and Carla Fields in the Democratic primary. 

Missouri voting polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time on Tuesday, according to the state secretary website. 

Nearly 70 Indigenous candidates to watch in August primaries

Native candidates in Washington primaries 

There are a dozen races happening in Washington state with Native candidates that ICT will be watching, according to the ICT and Advance Native Political Leadership database.

Washington is a vote-by-mail state. Ballots must be in an official dropbox by 8 p.m. local time and postmarked by Election Day. 

  • Jennifer White, Makah Tribe, running for Clallam County Treasurer
  • Christopher “Chris” Roberts, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, running for King County Assessor
  • Patrick DePoe, Makah Tribe, running for Washington House of Representatives, District 24 Position 2
  • Debra Lekanoff, Tlingit Tribe, running for Washington House of Representatives, District 40 Position 1
  • Chandler Torbett, Muscogee Nation, running for Washington House of Representatives, District 45 Position 2
  • William Chichenoff, Sun’aq Tribe of Kodiak, running for Washington House of Representatives, District 14 Position 1
  • Chelsea Dimas, Nahua, running for Washington House of Representatives, District 14 Position 1
  • Kim Harless, Ópata, running for Washington House of Representatives, District 49 Position 1
  • Renee Hernandez Greenfield, Cochiti Pueblo, running for Washington State House of Representatives, District 26 Position 2
  • Maria Littlesun, Skokomish, running for Washington House of Representatives, District 35 Position 2
  • Chris Stearns, Navajo Nation, running for Washington State House of Representatives, District 47 Position 2
  • Claudia Kauffman, Nez Perce Tribe, running for Washington State Senate, District 47

With the vote-by-mail process in the state, results will be unofficial the night of the primary election and the results will be certified 14 days after, according to the Washington Secretary of State website. 

Stay updated at ictnews.org for race results. 

This story is co-published by Underscore Native News and ICT, a news partnership that covers Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest.

Nika Bartoo-Smith is a reporter at Underscore + ICT. Follow her on Twitter: @BartooNika. Osage and Oneida Nations descent, Bartoo-Smith is based in Portland, Oregon.