Jonathan Nez, First Native American Candidate for Arizona Congress, on Diné Culture and Political Perseverance
Jonathan Nez, who was the president of the Navajo Nation from 2019 until 2023, is running for a congressional position in Arizona's largest district, which is held by Republican Eli Crane. If he succeeds in the November election, Nez would become Arizona's first Native American congressman. His campaign, named "Warrior Up," focuses on key issues like healthcare, affordable housing, rural infrastructure, and fighting corruption, emphasizing that "water is life and food is medicine." Presently, one in three Diné families lack access to clean water due to ongoing droughts. Nez, raised in Shonto without basic utilities, feels his upbringing shaped his dedication to serving the public. In a recent ad against him, a PAC associated with Trump mistakenly used a photo of another Navajo leader, highlighting the discrimination Indigenous people face.
Key facts
- Jonathan Nez served as president of the Navajo Nation from 2019 to 2023.
- Nez is running for Congress in Arizona's largest congressional district by area, a seat held by Republican Eli Crane.
- If elected in November, Nez would become the first Native American to represent Arizona in Congress.
- His "Warrior Up" platform has four pillars, a tribute to the number four's significance to Diné people.
- Nez campaigns on lowering healthcare and housing costs, sustainable rural infrastructure, tackling Washington corruption, and the belief that "water is life and food is medicine."
- One in three Diné households in Arizona lack access to clean water amid long-term drought and Colorado River strain.
- Nez grew up in Shonto, a small Navajo community in northeastern Arizona, without running water or electricity.
- A Trump-aligned PAC mistakenly used a photo of a different Navajo leader in an ad against Nez, then acknowledged and corrected the error.
Entities
Artists
- Jonathan Nez
- Eli Crane
- Myron Lizer
- Zach Bradshaw
Institutions
- Navajo Nation
- Hyperallergic
- Republican Party
- Democratic Party
- Trump administration
- Political Action Committee
- Baptist church
Locations
- Arizona
- United States
- Shonto
- Navajo Reservation
- Colorado River
- Washington
- Tuba City