Benny Shendo Jr.’s bid for Congress isn’t just a political race. He’s literally running for office touring northern New Mexico on foot and by bike as he seeks votes in a six-way Democratic primary.
The idea came naturally to the former college runner and marathoner, who is campaigning in a district with a greater concentration of American Indian voters than any other.
“Back in the old days, that’s how messages were carried on foot,” said Shendo, a member of the Jemez Pueblo tribe. His message: We’re all in this together.
The 3rd District covers roughly the northern half of New Mexico, with Indians accounting for about 16 percent of the voting-age population. The district has voters from 16 tribes 14 pueblos and parts of the Jicarilla Apache reservation and the huge Navajo Nation.
Shendo, former secretary of Indian affairs for Gov. Bill Richardson, is running for the seat left open by Rep. Tom Udall, who is running for the Senate. If elected, Shendo would be the first Indian to hold the office.
There’s only one Indian in Congress now: Oklahoma Republican Tom Cole, a member of the Chickasaw Nation.
Some Indians have been heavily involved in tribal governments, but the population historically has not participated much in state and federal elections, said Kalyn Free, who leads the Indigenous Democratic Network, which recruits and trains Indian candidates for public office.
