Native candidate takes governor's primary in Idaho [View all]

Surrounded by a loud, jubilant crowd in a small Boise bar, Paulette Jordan claimed victory in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, beating two-time candidate AJ Balukoff and going one step closer to becoming the first female, Native American governor in the United States.

“I didn’t win this race by Democrats alone,” the 38-year-old former state legislator declared as red white and blue balloons popped and supporters cheered, nearly drowning her out. “We won this race by everyone.”

She thanked her supporters and her family and her ancestors. She vowed that “never again” will Democrats have to vote for the lesser of Republican evils. She promised to fight “with every single ounce of my life” for access to health care and better education and to preserve the wild lands that make Idaho so special.