{{short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Ruth Buffalo | image = | image_size = 250x250px | state_house = North Dakota | district = 27th | term_start = December 1, 2018 | term_end = December 1, 2022 | alongside = Thomas Beadle | predecessor = Randy Boehning | successor = Josh Christy | birth_date = | birth_place = Watford City, North Dakota, U.S. | party = Democratic | education = Si Tanka University (BS)<br>North Dakota State University (MS, MBA, MPH) | children = 4 | website = {{URL|ruth4nd.com}} }}
'''Ruth Anna Buffalo''' is an American politician who served as a member of the North Dakota House of Representatives from the 27th District, from December 1, 2018 to December 1, 2022. She is the first Native American Democratic woman elected to the North Dakota Legislature.<ref name="NYTMeet">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/13/us/politics/north-dakota-ruth-buffalo.html|title=Meet the Native American Woman Who Beat the Sponsor of North Dakota's ID Law|author=Astor, Maggie|periodical=New York Times|date=13 November 2018 |access-date=2018-11-21}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Buffalo was born in Watford City, North Dakota and raised in Mandaree, North Dakota. She is an enrolled citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation.<ref name="NYTMeet" /><ref name="BustleSurprised">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bustle.com/p/ruth-buffalo-ousted-the-north-dakota-voter-id-laws-sponsor-that-was-news-to-her-13139101|title=Why Ruth Buffalo Was Surprised To Hear She Beat The Man Behind *That* Voter ID Law|last=Lim|first=Clarissa-Jan|work=Bustle|access-date=2018-11-21|language=en}}</ref> She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Si Tanka University and three master's degrees from North Dakota State University: one in management, another in business administration, and one in public health.<ref name="NYTMeet" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-12-21|title=Architect of Change: Ruth Buffalo|url=https://www.aolp.org/architect-of-change-ruth-buffalo/|access-date=2020-07-25|website=Academy of Our Lady of Peace|language=en-US}}</ref>
== Career == Buffalo's involvement in politics began when she ran for North Dakota Insurance Commissioner in the 2016 North Dakota elections, but lost to Jon Godfread. In April 2017, she became party secretary of the North Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League and in July 2017, her mayor appointed her to the Fargo Native American Commission.<ref name="NYTMeet" />
Buffalo replaced Randy Boehning, who was the primary sponsor of the Voter ID law that voting rights advocates warned would disenfranchise Native American voters.<ref name="NYTMeet"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Reilly |first1=Katie |title=A New North Dakota Law Threatened Native American Votes. They Responded By Turning Out in Historic Numbers |url=https://time.com/5446971/north-dakota-native-american-turnout/ |magazine=Time |access-date=13 May 2020 |language=en |date=7 November 2018}}</ref><ref name="SlateVoterID">{{Cite news |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/10/heidi-heitkamp-north-dakota-senate-voter-id.html |title=North Dakota's Voter ID Law Will Disenfranchise Thousands of Native Americans, Imperiling Heitkamp | author-link = Mark Joseph Stern | last = Stern |first=Mark Joseph |work=Slate Magazine |access-date=2018-11-21 |language=en}}</ref> Other important issues in this 2018 race included access to health care, education (both K-12 and higher education), property taxes, and community safety.<ref name="NYTMeet" /><ref name="BustleSurprised" /> She endorsed the Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Denetclaw |first=Pauly |date=2024-08-23 |title=Past, present Indigenous elected leaders endorse Kamala Harris • Source New Mexico |url=https://sourcenm.com/2024/08/23/past-present-indigenous-elected-leaders-endorse-kamala-harris/ |access-date=2024-09-21 |website=Source New Mexico |language=en-US}}</ref>
==See also== *List of Democratic Socialists of America who have held office in the United States
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== *[https://www.legis.nd.gov/biography/ruth-buffalo Ruth Buffalo Biography] in the North Dakota Legislative Assembly *[https://www.ruth4nd.com Ruth Buffalo's Candidate Page]
{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=Tom Potter}} {{s-ttl|title=Democratic nominee for North Dakota Insurance Commissioner|years=2016}} {{s-inc|recent}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buffalo, Ruth}} Category:Native American state legislators in North Dakota Category:Members of the Democratic Socialists of America from North Dakota Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:Women state legislators in North Dakota Category:People from McKenzie County, North Dakota Category:North Dakota State University alumni Category:Candidates in the 2016 United States elections Category:20th-century Native American women Category:21st-century Native American women Category:21st-century Native American politicians Category:Democratic Party members of the North Dakota House of Representatives Category:Three Affiliated Tribes people Category:21st-century members of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly