Overview:
Diné leader Ian Teller makes history as the only Native Gen Z candidate elected to Arizona’s State House, bringing Indigenous representation and youth leadership to Legislative District 6.
Native Vote 2026
The 2026 Midterm General Elections, held Tuesday, November 3, were full of historic firsts for diverse representation among today’s political leaders. Arizona’s state races were no different, with three Gen Z candidates elected.
Ian Teller, a Diné leader from Tsaile, Arizona, was one of three Gen Z legislators elected to Arizona’s State House and the only Native youth elected. Teller ran for one of two seats available in Arizona Legislative District 6 and won alongside Mae Peshlakai, also Diné. Both are Democrats.
Peshlakai won 47 percent of the vote, while Teller received 43.4 percent, with an estimated 80 percent of the votes counted at the time.
“I am so grateful and honored by this privilege of service and servitude to the great people of Legislative District 6, which encompasses many tribal nations and many rural citizens of Arizona,” Teller said in a video posted to his social media. “Thank you for putting your faith in me.”
Teller has a strong background in civics. He is the founder of When Natives Vote, a 2024 youth-led initiative focused on increasing civic engagement in Native communities. Teller also serves as the Southwestern Representative for the Young Democrats of America Indigenous Caucus.
Teller earned a B.A. in Business Administration from Fort Lewis College and an M.S. in Music Industry from the University of Southern California. He is also a UNITY National 25 Under 25 Honoree and a 2024 Center for Native American Youth Champion for Change.
His main platform issues included affordable housing, building a more affordable economy, climate and water rights, and quality education for Arizona youth. Teller says he is ready to take on the challenge.
“We are going to make some historic change. We are bringing the fire. We are bringing the fight. We are fighting for everyday hard-working Arizonans who just want a fighting chance—who just want the opportunity to build a life for themselves,” Teller said in his video.
Teller, whose campaign and platform were driven by his Diné values, says he plans to carry those values with him into his work in the Arizona State House and is thankful for the opportunity.
“Thank you for believing in me and my vision, and this philosophy—the Diné traditional philosophy and culture that guides me and that roots me to my ancestry and my heritage.”
At the time of reporting, Democrats had won three of the four currently called State House races, with five races still to be called. This puts Arizona Democrats in a position to end 60 years of Republican control of the state legislature.
