Kalle BenallieICT
The first primaries of 2026 are kicking off in Arkansas, North Carolina and Texas.
There are three Indigenous candidates in North Carolina, two of whom are in primary races. Another Indigenous candidate is up later this month in Illinois.
The first Indigenous candidate’s election is Faline Locklear Dial, Republican, who is running for Robeson County Board of Commissioners in District 4 in North Carolina. She is running against Republican Scott Bell. Locklear Dial is a Lumbee citizen.
Kirk Lowery, Lumbee, is running for North Carolina House of Representatives District 48.
Anthony Tamez-Pochel’s, Sicangu Lakota and Black, election is on March 17 for the Illinois Fifth Congressional District. If elected, he’d be the first Gen Z Afro-Indigenous member of Congress.
Illinois, population 12.8 million, had a Native population of 280,000 in the 2020 Census.
He is one of four democratic candidates challenging incumbent Rep. Mike Quigley.
Tamez-Pochel was elected in 2023 to represent District 17 on the Chicago Police District Council and is believed to be the only Native American currently in elective office in Illinois.
“The people that got us into the mess that we are in today aren’t going to be the ones that get us out of this mess,” he said to ICT in August. “I think we need people specifically in Congress who aren’t going to be afraid to stand up for, one, their constituents, their neighbors, but also this country’s most, the most vulnerable populations that we have in our country.”
The Native vote could impact the primaries in Texas and Arkansas and a future special election in Georgia.
The contested elections in Arkansas include: State House 30 Republican Primary, US House 2 Democratic Primary, US House 2 Republican Primary. Secretary of State Republican Primary. Governor Democratic Primary, U.S. Senate Democratic Primary and U.S. Senate Republican Primary.
Arkansas, population 3 million, had a Native population of 115,000 in the 2020 census.
Texas is having multiple primary elections due to redistricting. The contested elections include the Democratic and Republican seat for the U.S. Senate, the race for governor and lieutenant governor. There are also 12 republican primaries for the U.S. House and five democratic primaries for the U.S. House. There are two state house primaries for a republican and democratic candidate. They are State House 17 Republican Primary and State House 50 Democratic Primary.
Texas, population 29.1 million, had a Native population of 794,600 in the 2020 election.
The primary election for March 17 for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District to choose a successor to U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Georgia, population 10.7 million, had a Native population of 57,917 in the 2020 Census.
This story will be updated with results.
The post Road to 2026 Midterms: First primaries of election season appeared first on ICT.
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