Kamala Harris and Donald Trump Court Native American Voters in Swing States

As the 2024 election approaches, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are turning their attention to Native American communities, recognizing them as pivotal voting blocs in several swing states.
A century after Native Americans were granted the right to vote with the passage of the Snyder Act in 1924, the community has become increasingly recognized as a crucial voting bloc in U.S. elections, particularly in swing states like Arizona, Nevada and Michigan. Their impact has been seen as significant in previous elections as their turnout has sometimes been the deciding factor in close races.
In Arizona, Native American voters were instrumental in securing victories for Democratic candidates in both the 2020 presidential election and the 2022 midterms. Their support of President Joe Biden helped him become the first Democrat to win Arizona in over two decades. Similarly, in Nevada and Michigan, Native American voters have contributed to maintaining Democratic strongholds.
In the lead-up to the election, the strategies deployed by Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, and Trump, the GOP nominee, reveal strikingly different approaches to engaging Native voters.
Harris, aiming to build on the Biden administration’s achievements, has launched a $370 million ad campaign released this month targeting tribal lands and made commitments to protect treaty rights and uphold tribal sovereignty. Her approach seems to echo the Biden administration’s outreach in 2020, which was instrumental in mobilizing Native voters.
On the Republicanside, Trump’s campaign has so far taken a different tack, largely refraining from direct outreach. Instead, Trump allies, such as Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma—a citizen of the Cherokee Nation—have been campaigning in Native communities, focusing on issues like tribal self-determination and energy independence.
Mullin’s recent event in North Carolina, a swing state that was decided by less than one point in 2020, emphasized Trump’s support for the controversial “Drill, baby, drill” energy policy, resonating with some Native voters who prioritize economic self-sufficiency and lower energy costs.
Mullin also said that Trump would have a deep understanding of tribal sovereignty.
Key Issues for Native American Voters
Gabriel R. Sanchez, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told The Associated Press (AP) that Native Americans tend to vote for Democratic candidates. He added Native Americans are one of the youngest and least partisan voting demographics in the U.S., often driven by issues close to home—such as land rights, environmental protections and economic opportunities.
Crystal Echo Hawk, CEO of IllumiNative, a nonprofit that works to increase the visibility of Native Americans, told the AP that honoring treaty rights and upholding tribal sovereignty, along with the economy and environmental protections, are the top issues Native voters according to IllumiNative’s surveys.
Echo Hawk said Harris’ investments in those issues could pay off.
“I haven’t seen the same kind of targeted messaging and outreach from the Trump campaign,” she said.
Meanwhile, Trump’s reduction of Bears Ears National Monument and revival of the Keystone XL pipeline during his previous term both remain unpopular with Indigenous peoples, Echo Hawk said.
One issue that has garnered bipartisan support, however, is the federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe in North Carolina. Both Trump and Harris have signaled their backing for legislation to recognize the tribe.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.