Sharice Davids

Sharice Davids – Life, Career, and Notable Insights

Learn about Sharice Davids (born May 22, 1980) — her journey from law, MMA, and advocacy, to becoming one of the first Native American women in U.S. Congress. Explore her background, political career, values, and quotes.

Introduction

Sharice Lynnette Davids is an American attorney, former mixed martial artist, and Democratic politician. Since January 2019, she has served as the U.S. Representative for Kansas’s 3rd Congressional District. Her election was historic: she is among the first Native American women elected to Congress, and the first openly LGBTQ Native American in the U.S. Congress. Her career spans public service, law, activism, and breaking barriers.

Early Life and Family

Sharice Davids was born on May 22, 1980, in Frankfurt, West Germany, while her mother was stationed overseas. Ho-Chunk Nation.

Her mother, Crystal Herriage, was a U.S. Army service member who served for over 20 years.

She attended Leavenworth High School in Kansas, graduating in 1998.

Education & Early Career

After high school, Davids began her college path:

• She attended Haskell Indian Nations University and also studied at the University of Kansas.

• In 2003, she earned an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree from Johnson County Community College.

• She then completed a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2007.

• In 2010, she earned her Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Cornell Law School.

After law school, Davids began her legal career as an associate at SNR Denton.

Beyond law, she also engaged in community and economic development work, particularly on Native American reservations, working in roles such as deputy director for Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation on the Pine Ridge reservation, and as director of economic development at Red Cloud Indian School.

She also served as a White House Fellow (Department of Transportation) during the transition between the Obama and Trump administrations (2016–2017).

Mixed Martial Arts Experience

Before her congressional career, Davids competed in mixed martial arts (MMA):

• She began as an amateur around 2006, achieving a 5–1 record.

• She later had a professional MMA record of 1–1.

• She also tried out for The Ultimate Fighter reality show, but did not make it onto the show.

• After MMA, she traveled and worked with various Native communities, focusing on economic and community development.

That part of her background is often cited as evidence of her discipline, resilience, and willingness to take on challenges.

Political Career & Congressional Service

Election & Historic Firsts

In 2018, Davids ran for the U.S. House seat for Kansas’s 3rd Congressional District. Kevin Yoder in the general election.

When sworn in on January 3, 2019, she became:

• The first Democrat to represent a Kansas congressional district in nearly a decade.

• One of the first two Native American women ever elected to the U.S. Congress (along with Deb Haaland).

• The first openly LGBTQ Native American elected to the U.S. Congress.

She was re-elected in 2020, 2022, and again in 2024.

In 2024, she defeated Republican Prasanth Reddy with 53.4% of the vote.

Roles, Committees & Legislative Focus

Within the House of Representatives, Davids holds various committee assignments:

• Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure (with subcommittees on Aviation; Highways & Transit)

• Committee on Agriculture (with subcommittees on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management & Credit; and Conservation, Research & Biotechnology)

She is also active in caucuses, including:

• Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus (she is a co-chair)

• Congressional Native American Caucus (vice chair)

• New Democrat Coalition (vice chair)

On policy, she emphasizes:

• Healthcare access & prescription drug affordability

• Economic opportunity and small business support

• Education and workforce development

• Infrastructure and transportation

• Support for Native American and underserved communities

In December 2019, she voted for the impeachment of President Donald Trump—being the only Kansas representative to do so.

She also has maintained strong alignment with President Biden’s agenda during her terms.

Personality, Values & Public Image

Sharice Davids is often described as thoughtful, disciplined, bridge-building, and grounded in her roots. Some predominant values and traits include:

• Representation & breaking barriers — her identity as a Native American, LGBTQ, and as someone from modest beginnings gives her symbolic significance and motivation to focus on inclusion.

• Resilience & discipline — her experience in MMA, law, and community work suggest a mindset oriented to challenge and perseverance.

• Respect for community and voice — she often frames her work as giving voice to people underrepresented in policymaking.

• Pragmatism — though progressive, she tends to emphasize actionable goals (e.g. prescription drug reform, infrastructure).

• Authenticity & humility — in interviews, she often reflects on her journey, the influence of her mother, and the importance of listening.

She also published a children’s book “Sharice’s Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman”, aimed at providing representation and inspiration to Native and LGBTQ youth.

Selected Quotes & Insights

Sharice Davids is not as widely quoted in historical compendiums as long-time politicians, but in interviews and public statements she has shared some meaningful reflections. Here are a few:

• On her motivation to run:

  “She ran for Congress to give Kansans a voice who represents our values and interests, and to make sure everyone has the same opportunities to achieve their goals that she did.”

• On her upbringing and path:

  “Davids, raised by a single mom who spent more than 20 years serving in the U.S. Army, … worked her way from Johnson County Community College to Cornell Law School, juggling multiple jobs to put herself through school.”

Though not in classic quote collections, these statements show her emphasis on opportunity, hard work, and representation.

Lessons from Sharice Davids’s Journey

From her life and career, we can extract several lessons:

1. Identity can be a source, not a limitation
   She uses her Native and LGBTQ identity as lenses to understand injustice and to inform inclusive policy, rather than seeing them as barriers.

2. Nontraditional paths can lead to political leadership
   Her background in MMA, community development, and law illustrates that politics need not be a predetermined trajectory.

3. Perseverance through transition
   She transitioned across fields — from advocacy, to law, to public service — adapting along the way while keeping purpose.

4. Importance of representation
   Her presence in Congress matters beyond legislation: it signals to young people what is possible.

5. Practical progress over perfection
   While vision matters, her focus often returns to concrete steps (e.g. lowering drug costs, infrastructure, community investment).

Conclusion

Sharice Davids is a distinctive and modern example of what American politics is becoming: more plural, more representative, more rooted in lived experiences that cross boundaries. Her journey from a working child of an Army mother, to MMA fighter, to lawyer and public servant is testament to perseverance, identity embraced, and service grounded.

If you want, I can also compile a full list of her sponsored legislation or recent speeches in Congress. Would you like me to do that?