Historic Firsts!

There are more Native women and men who will be leading... AHO!

Women elected to lead Navajo and Seneca governments in historic firsts

November 5, 2026 Wenona Singel

Navajo Nation President-Elect Crystalyne Curley

On Tuesday, Crystalyne Curley was elected the next president of the Navajo Nation. She’s the first woman to be elected to the position. Raised in Fish Point, a small community about 23 miles southwest of Chinle, Crystalyne Curley built a career across the Navajo Nation’s judicial, legislative, and executive branches before becoming the first woman elected Speaker of the Navajo Nation Council in 2023. She has described growing up in a rural community without running water and has connected that experience to her focus on infrastructure and services in remote communities.

Curley’s running mate was former Arizona state Rep. Christopher Deschene. Curley won by a narrow margin, and her opponent Justin Jones has stated that he intends to the challenge the results.

Seneca Nation President-Elect Tina Abrams

Seneca Nation voters elected Tina Abrams President on Nov. 3, making her the first woman to hold the Nation’s highest elected office. Abrams has served on the Seneca Nation Council since 2001 and became its first woman co-chair in 2012.

The election also puts women in all three elected executive offices at Seneca for the first time: Abrams as President, Lenith Waterman as Treasurer, and Bethany Johnson as Clerk. The Seneca Nation adopted its democratic form of government under its Constitution in 1848.

Abram’s historic win is also notable since Seneca Nation is matrilineal, but women only secured the right to vote after 1964 referendum. Once her win was announced, Abrams stated,

The Seneca people did not go to the polls to elect a woman President today. We went to the polls to choose a president who can lead our Nation with strength, honesty, vision and conviction. That is my charge.

 

 

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In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola (Yup’ik) ran to unseat the Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. With 75% of the votes counted, Peltola is leading with 48.18% of the vote with Sullivan close behind at 47.88%. It may take weeks to know the final results. If Peltola wins, she will be the first Native woman and the first Alaska Native to serve in the US Senate.