Jonathan Nez is running for U.S. Representative as a Democrat in Arizona’s District 2, which covers over half of the state and includes 12 tribes. It’s one of the largest congressional districts in the country and includes some of the most rural areas in the Southwest.
“Being a Native American, they have yet to hear a voice like mine in Washington DC,” said Nez.
Jonathan Nez started in local government as vice president of the Shonto chapter of the Navajo Nation at age 29. He served as the Navajo Nation President from 2019 to 2023.
“My constituency then was Navajo citizens, and we were able to bring historic amounts of resources and funding to the Navajo people, especially during the pandemic, bringing dollars for infrastructure, getting water, electricity, broadband telecommunication into the rural parts of the nation, and I see the same issues that rural Arizona has,” said Nez.
Nez says his top priorities are affordable healthcare, mitigating wildfires, water access from the Colorado River, and protection from uranium mining.
“There are high rates of cancers in our communities, you know, it could be from the nuclear testing, it could be from the groundwater contamination, it could be because of the over 500 plus uranium mines that are there on the land,” said Nez.
Nez is running as a Democrat against the incumbent Republican Elijah Crane, who took office in 2023.
“The folks here in in Congressional District Two are wanting someone that knows about a district and that has been amongst them. I was born in this district. I served in this district. Now I'm still in the district, unlike my opponent,” said Nez.
In August, Elijah Crane did not accept Arizona PBS's request for a televised debate with Johnthan Nez. If Nez wins in October, he would be the first Indigenous person to serve in Congress in Arizona.
