Photo: Instagram
Sharice Davids made history as one of the first Native American women elected to Congress.
By Rebekah Kuschmider — Written on Nov 07, 2018
Who is Sharice Davids? The 2018 midterm election is now over, and with them came historic gains for female candidates. One of the women who will be joining the House of Representatives in 2019 is Sharice Davids. Davids, a Democrat who has not held office before, unseated the incumbent Republican Kevin Yoder. Yoder had held represented the district in the suburbs of Kansas City, KS since 2011.
But Davids is no ordinary politician. There are a lot of things about her that will make her stand out from the crowd in Washington. Who is Sharice Davids? Read on to find out more.
1. Army baby
Sharice was raised by a single mother who was an active duty member of the US Army. After a 20 year military career, she went on to work for the postal service.
2. Ho-Chunk tribe
Davids is a member of the Ho-Chunk nation from Wisconsin. Ho-Chunk, also known as Hoocąągra or Winnebago are recognized by the federal government as two tribes: Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin and the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. The Tribe has no official reservation, though it does have parcels of land in the Midwest. As a member of the Nation, Davids will be one of the first two Native American women to serve in the US house of Representatives. The other will be Deb Haaland who won election in New Mexico in 2018 as well.
3. Attorney
Davids' educational credentials are extensive. She's a graduate of Leavenworth High School. She attended Haskell Indian Nations University and the University of Kansas before graduating from Johnson County Community College and later the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She went on to earn a law degree from Cornell Law School. In practice as a lawyer, Davids worked on economic development issues related to Native tribes.
4. MMA
Davids is a bonafide MMA fighter. Though she was a long-time fan of Bruce Lee, she didn't start training in martial arts until college. Her mother hadn't been able to afford classes for her as a child. She eventually competed both as an amateur and a professional in MMA. She continues to train today.
5. White House
In 2016, Sharice was named one of 16 White House fellows. According to a press release at the time, "Selection as a White House Fellow is highly competitive and based on a record of professional achievement, evidence of leadership potential, and a proven commitment to public service. Each Fellow must possess the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute meaningfully at senior levels of the Federal government." This was the last class of Fellows of the Obama administration.
6. LGBTQ
Davids is openly gay. Her election will make her the only openly gay woman serving in the US House. In Kansas, she and her brother host a podcast called Starty Pants about entrepreneurs in the Greater Kansas City area with a focus on women, people of color and LGBTQ founders.
Congratulation to Representative-elect Davids.
Rebekah Kuschmider has been writing about celebrities, pop culture, entertainment, and politics since 2010. Her work has been seen at Ravishly, Babble, Scary Mommy, The Mid, Redbook online, and The Broad Side. She is the creator of the blog Stay at Home Pundit and she is a cohost of the weekly podcast The More Perfect Union.