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RED SPRINGS, N.C. — In the 2020 presidential election, Native American voters played a crucial role in influencing outcomes in key battleground states. As the 2024 election season heats up, both major parties are intensifying their efforts to engage these communities, recognizing their potential to sway this closely contested race.
This year marks a significant milestone as it has been 100 years since Native Americans gained the right to vote through the Snyder Act of 1924. The ability to mobilize these voters effectively could prove pivotal, especially in tight races across some of the country’s most competitive counties.
In swing states, particularly Arizona, North Carolina, Michigan, and Nevada, candidates have been using a variety of tactics to connect with Native voters. Notably, Vice President Kamala Harris has leveraged radio advertisements and events on tribal lands, where prominent figures such as Bill Clinton and Donald Trump Jr. have made appearances.
Generally, Native Americans lean Democratic, yet they are more open to Republican candidates compared to Latino or African American voters. Gabriel R. Sanchez, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, points out that Native voters form one of the least partisan demographics, motivated by local issues such as land rights and environmental policy.
During the 2020 campaign, the Biden administration made significant inroads into Native communities across essential states like Wisconsin and Arizona. Notably, tribal precincts were instrumental in tipping the electoral balance in favor of the Democrats. Sanchez remarked on Arizona as a prime example of how focused investment in Native outreach can yield impactful results.
As part of a recently launched $370 million advertising campaign, Harris emphasized the need for the U.S. government to uphold treaty rights and recognize tribal sovereignty. Crystal Echo Hawk, CEO of Illuminative, a nonprofit advocating for Native issues, indicated that treaty rights and economic considerations form the core priorities for Native voters, based on their organizational surveys.
Echo Hawk noted that the targeted outreach by the Biden campaign stands in stark contrast to what she has observed from the Trump campaign. She also highlighted that Harris benefits from the goodwill established during the administrations of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, both of whom took steps to enhance relations with tribal leaders. Obama’s focus on consulting tribes on land issues and Biden’s commitment to appointing a diverse array of Native Americans in governance are factors favoring Democratic outreach.
Recently, Biden issued an apology regarding the government’s history of supporting Native boarding schools, which was met with positive reception from tribal leaders. On the campaign trail, various Democratic figures, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are actively engaging with the Navajo Nation in Arizona.
On the Republican side, the Trump campaign has not yet rolled out specific advertisements aimed at Native voters. However, GOP representatives like Senator Markwayne Mullin from Oklahoma, a member of the Cherokee Nation, have been actively campaigning within Native communities. Mullin has been joining events where he articulates the objectives of the Trump agenda related to Indigenous peoples.
During a recent rally in Red Springs, North Carolina, Mullin addressed an audience of a few hundred alongside Trump Jr. and former Representative Tulsi Gabbard. The discussions touched on a range of topics, including economic opportunities for tribal nations and the concept of tribal sovereignty.
The event took place on the traditional lands of the Lumbee Tribe, which is recognized by the state but is still awaiting federal acknowledgment. The Lumbee’s quest for recognition has captured the attention of both political parties, with previous pledges from Trump to support their cause and Harris’s recent outreach to the tribe’s leadership to discuss federal recognition.
Mullin described the federal recognition of the Lumbee as a necessary rectification of an ongoing injustice. As he emphasized the need for energy policy reforms, he expressed a belief that tribes should have the autonomy to manage their resources absent federal interference. He criticized the misguided treatment of tribal lands, suggesting that privileges granted to private landowners should similarly apply to Indigenous nations.
Styles of leadership and governance became central themes during the rally, with some attendees, like Robert Chavis Jr., expressing support for Trump based on business-oriented governance. Others, like Janice Locklear, voiced skepticism about Trump’s prior commitments and expressed concerns regarding his threats to democracy, particularly in light of events surrounding the January 6 Capitol insurrection.
Locklear articulated a belief in Harris’s ability to empathize with and advocate for the issues facing Native Americans, drawing parallels with her own experiences as a woman of color facing discrimination.
As the 2024 election approaches, the differing strategies and messages from both campaigns highlight the importance of Native American voters, whose decisions could significantly influence the election’s outcome.
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