# Ruth Buffalo > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ruth_Buffalo > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ruth_Buffalo.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Buffalo > Source revision: 1346548641 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{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](/source/Thomas_Beadle) | predecessor = [Randy Boehning](/source/Randy_Boehning) | successor = Josh Christy | birth_date = | birth_place = [Watford City, North Dakota](/source/Watford_City%2C_North_Dakota), U.S. | party = [Democratic](/source/North_Dakota_Democratic%E2%80%93Nonpartisan_League_Party) | education = [Si Tanka University](/source/Si_Tanka_University) ([BS](/source/Bachelor_of_Science))
[North Dakota State University](/source/North_Dakota_State_University) ([MS](/source/Master_of_Science), [MBA](/source/Master_of_Business_Administration), [MPH](/source/Master_of_Public_Health)) | children = 4 | website = {{URL|ruth4nd.com}} }} '''Ruth Anna Buffalo''' is an [American](/source/American_people) politician who served as a member of the [North Dakota House of Representatives](/source/North_Dakota_House_of_Representatives) from the 27th District, from December 1, 2018 to December 1, 2022. She is the first Native American [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) woman elected to the North Dakota Legislature.{{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}} == Early life and education == Buffalo was born in [Watford City, North Dakota](/source/Watford_City%2C_North_Dakota) and raised in [Mandaree, North Dakota](/source/Mandaree%2C_North_Dakota). She is an enrolled citizen of the [Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation](/source/Mandan%2C_Hidatsa%2C_and_Arikara_Nation).{{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}} She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from [Si Tanka University](/source/Si_Tanka_University) and three master's degrees from [North Dakota State University](/source/North_Dakota_State_University): one in management, another in business administration, and one in public health.{{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}} == Career == Buffalo's involvement in politics began when she ran for [North Dakota Insurance Commissioner](/source/North_Dakota_Insurance_Commissioner) in the [2016 North Dakota elections](/source/2016_North_Dakota_elections), but lost to [Jon Godfread](/source/Jon_Godfread). In April 2017, she became party secretary of the [North Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League](/source/North_Dakota_Democratic%E2%80%93Nonpartisan_League_Party) and in July 2017, her mayor appointed her to the Fargo Native American Commission. Buffalo replaced [Randy Boehning](/source/Randy_Boehning), who was the primary sponsor of the [Voter ID law](/source/Voter_suppression_in_the_United_States) that voting rights advocates warned would disenfranchise Native American voters.{{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](/source/Time_(magazine)) |access-date=13 May 2020 |language=en |date=7 November 2018}}{{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}} Other important issues in this 2018 race included access to health care, education (both K-12 and higher education), property taxes, and community safety. She endorsed the [Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign](/source/Kamala_Harris_2024_presidential_campaign).{{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}} ==See also== *[List of Democratic Socialists of America who have held office in the United States](/source/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](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) nominee for [North Dakota Insurance Commissioner](/source/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 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ruth Buffalo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Buffalo) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Buffalo?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.