Paulette Jordan could be the first Native American governor in the United States

Jessica Estepa | USA TODAY

Paulette Jordan won the Democratic nomination in Idaho's gubernatorial race on Tuesday, setting her up for a November showdown which would make her the state's first female governor and the country's first Native American governor if she came out victorious.

Jordan, a member of the Couer d'Alene tribe who served in the Idaho House of Representatives for more than three years, defeated A.J. Balukoff, the Democratic nominee in 2014. She will face Republican Lt. Gov. Brad Little in the general election.

It's going to be an uphill battle for the 38-year-old, given that Idaho hasn't elected a Democrat to the top executive office in the state since the 1990s. The last Democratic governor to serve in Idaho was Cecil Andrus, who served from 1987 to 1995. And the state has gone solidly Republican in every presidential race for decades; the last Democratic presidential nominee to win Idaho was Lyndon B. Johnson.

Still, Jordan seemed to remain optimistic.

“We are not afraid, and never again will we stand down,” Jordan said, according to the Idaho Statesman. “This is a great celebration tonight... Come tomorrow this race is still going on. We’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

The 38-year-old has been running on a progressive platform, from expanding Medicaid to raising the minimum wage, and she's been endorsed by progressive groups across the country. Prior to her time in the state legislature, she served on her tribal council.

Her primary competitor, Balukoff, called on his party to come together after his defeat.

“So now let’s begin to come together,” he said. “Let’s work hard and let’s bring our message of proper education funding, access to health care and protecting our public lands."