Ponka-We Victors
{{short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Ponka-We Victors
| image =
| caption =
| state = Kansas
| state_house = Kansas
| district = 103rd
| term_start = January 10, 2011
| term_end = January 9, 2023
| predecessor = Delia Garcia
| successor = Angela Martinez
| party = Democratic
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|7|7}}
| birth_place = Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse =
| nationality = Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma-Tohono Oʼodham Nation
| profession = Community Support Worker
| religion =
| residence = Wichita
| alma_mater = Wichita State University
Newman University
| website = http://www.votevictors.com/
}}
Ponka-We Victors (born July 7, 1981, in Ponca and Tohono Oʼodham) is a community support worker from Wichita, Kansas, who was a Democratic member of the Kansas House of Representatives, representing District 103 from 2011 to 2023.{{cite web|title=Representative Ponka-We Victors|url=http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2015_16/members/rep_victors_ponka_we_1/|website=Kansas Legislature, 2015-2016 Legislative Sessions|publisher=Kansas Legislative Information System and Services|access-date=25 October 2015}}{{cite web|author1=Dennis Zotigh|title=Meet Native America: Ponka-We Victors, Kansas State Representative|url=http://blog.nmai.si.edu/main/2014/11/meet-native-america-ponka-we-victors.html|publisher=National Museum of the American Indian|access-date=15 May 2015|date=21 November 2014|archive-date=25 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141125220616/http://blog.nmai.si.edu/main/2014/11/meet-native-america-ponka-we-victors.html|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web |last=Brooks |first=Amy |date=2023-01-10 |title=History-making alumna retires from Kansas House of Representatives |url=https://news.newmanu.edu/ponka-we-victors-cozad/ |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=Newman Today |language=en-US}}
Background
Victors is an enrolled member of both the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma and the Tohono Oʼodham Nation, and a lifelong resident of Wichita.{{cite web|url=https://chiefstandingbear.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/3b.-Full-speaker-roster-2015-Symposium.pdf |title=41st Annual Great Plains Symposium |publisher=Chief Standing Bear: The Trail Ahead |accessdate=2023-08-06}} She earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Newman University in 2005, and a Master of Public Administration from Wichita State University in 2008.{{cite web|title=Get to Know Ponka-We|url=http://www.votevictors.com/ponka-we.shtml|website=Ponka-We Victors for State Representative 103 District|publisher=Ponka-We Victors for Kansas House|access-date=26 October 2015}}
Elected office
Victors, who had worked as a Congressional intern, had been a long-time backer of Delia Garcia, the incumbent Representative from Kansas's 103rd congressional district. In 2010, Garcia supported Victors in filing as the only candidate for the 2010 Democratic primary election hours before the filing deadline. Victors became the presumptive winner of the seat. No Republican candidate has run for the seat since 1998, when incumbent Democrat Thomas Klein polled 57% of the vote in a three-way race.{{Cite web |url=http://blogs.kansas.com/gov/2010/06/10/the-103rd-district-has-a-new-state-representative-ponka-we-victors/#storylink=cpy |title=Koranda, Jeannine. "Wichita's 103rd District has a new state representative: Ponka-We Victors" [[Wichita Eagle]] June 10, 2010 |access-date=March 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130324031340/http://blogs.kansas.com/gov/2010/06/10/the-103rd-district-has-a-new-state-representative-ponka-we-victors/#storylink=cpy |archive-date=March 24, 2013 |url-status=dead }} Victors ran unopposed in the November general election.[http://www.kssos.org/elections/10elec/2010_General_Election_Results.pdf Official Kansas House of Representatives General Election Results, 2010]
In 2012, she beat challenger Angela Martinez in the Democratic primary and was again unopposed in the November general election.[http://www.kssos.org/elections/elections_upcoming_candidate.asp Kansas Secretary of State, "Candidates for the 2012 primary (official)"][http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2012/by_state/KS_State_House_0807.html?SITE=CSPANELN&SECTION=POLITICS C-SPAN, "Kansas – Summary Vote Results"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130529050704/http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2012/by_state/KS_State_House_0807.html?SITE=CSPANELN&SECTION=POLITICS |date=2013-05-29 }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.sos.ks.gov/ent/kssos_ent.html |title=Kansas Secretary of State, 2012 Unofficial Kansas General Election Results |access-date=2013-03-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130202012501/http://www.sos.ks.gov/ent/kssos_ent.html |archive-date=2013-02-02 |url-status=dead }}
= "Illegal immigrants" speech =
In 2013, Victors drew national attention when, during a hearing on a bill to deny in-state tuition to Kansas high school graduates who were undocumented immigrants, she addressed Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and other advocates of the bill, saying, "I think it's funny, Mr. Kobach, because when you mention illegal immigrant, I think of all of you."[http://cjonline.com/news/2013-03-20/emotions-flow-during-immigrant-tuition-hearing Marso, Andy. "Emotions flow during immigrant tuition hearing; Indian lawmaker to Kobach: Who's the illegal immigrant here?"], Topeka Capital-Journal March 20, 2013[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/21/ponka-we-victors-native-american-kansas-immigration-kris-kobach_n_2924096.html Planas, Roque. "Kris Kobach Slammed By Native American Rep. Ponka-We Victors: ‘When You Mention Illegal Immigrant, I Think Of All Of You'"] Huffington Post March 21, 2013
Career
Victors is a social worker at Behavioral Link.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://kslegislature.org/li/b2011_12/year1/members/rep_victors_ponka_we_1/ Official House website]
- [http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=125186 Project Vote Smart biography]
- [http://www.votesmart.org/summary.php?can_id=125186 Project Vote Smart legislative profile]
- Campaign contributions: [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=126660 2010]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Victors, Ponka-We}}
Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:American social workers
Category:Democratic Party members of the Kansas House of Representatives
Category:Native American state legislators in Kansas
Category:Native American women in politics
Category:Newman University, Wichita alumni
Category:Politicians from Wichita, Kansas
Category:Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma people
Category:Tohono O'odham people
Category:Wichita State University alumni
Category:Women state legislators in Kansas
Category:21st-century Native American women
Category:21st-century Native American politicians
Category:20th-century Native American people