This Candidate’s Tribal Background Gave Him Firsthand Experience with Washington

Jonathan Nez spent four years serving as president of the Navajo Nation, where he responded to issues raised by the pandemic, water shortages, food deserts and infrastructure challenges. He testified multiple times before Congress.

Now he wants to be part of it.

The former president of the tribe is the only Democrat running in Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District, a seat currently held by Republican Rep. Eli Crane. Nez would be the first Native American to represent Arizona if elected, and he argues that his tribal experience makes him uniquely qualified to represent the district in one of the most competitive House races this year.

“I sat in congressional hearings, testifying on behalf of people. I might even go as far as to say I sat in front of committees more, time-wise, than my opponent has ever done,” Nez said. “I have fought for people that are in my jurisdiction, and I’ll continue to do that at a larger capacity.”

It’s a key race for the Democratic Party in its efforts to take back control of the House of Representatives. For advocates of more Native American representation in Congress, it’s also a rare opportunity to get someone with tribal leadership experience into the halls of Congress.

In the class of current Native American lawmakers and candidates, Nez is the only one with experience as an elected tribal leader.

In an interview with NOTUS, Nez, who also served on the Navajo County Board of Supervisors, emphasized his desire to represent all constituents, not just tribe members. He said that as he’s campaigned, he’s sensed discontent among voters — particularly ones from rural areas — about policy decisions that don’t prioritize pressing issues for the district.

“They bring up that costs are too high. They can’t afford healthy food, let alone find it. Health care centers are on the brink of closure, and the other is, there’s a real concern about water security,” Nez said. “I travel the district and people are very upset.”

But he also said that his time in tribal leadership has taught him a lot about how power in Washington works and that there’s more to it than introducing bills.

“I think Democrats have a lot to learn from Republicans or vice versa. And it’s all about coming back together, working things out, compromising to get things done. Give and take,” Nez told NOTUS. “That’s how this government was established. You can’t get everything you want, and sometimes you have to compromise. That’s being an effective lawmaker.”

At a moment when the Trump administration’s agenda is having an outsized effect on rural communities, Nez said his experience representing a tribe that is geographically bigger than some states has positioned him well for a rematch against Crane.

Nez first ran against Crane for the seat — which stretches across half of Arizona — in 2024, and Crane beat him by 9 percentage points. This year, Democrats are bullish about his chances in the battleground state, given historic political headwinds Republicans are expected to face. The district is categorized as likely to favor Republican candidates by Cook Political Report, and it’s included in the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” list of target districts.

Crane’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment about a rematch against Nez.

But Nez told NOTUS he feels better positioned to run against Crane this time around, with more support systems around the country for Native American candidates.

“When we elect Native people, the theory of change behind that is not just electing Native people to get a higher number of us in office,” said Jordan James Harvill, the senior director of national programs at Advance Native Political Leadership, an organization focused on electing more Native American lawmakers. “There’s a genuine belief that Native folks operate through a prism of lived experience that benefits everybody.”

Holly Cook Macarro, a tribal advocate and political strategist, told NOTUS that this election could be a major watershed year for Indian Country representation in Congress, and she’s hoping to see the results of years of organizing come to fruition.

“This is a historic year in terms of the number of Native American candidates that we have that are not niche candidates but are true leading candidates in their races,” Cook Macarro said.

There are only a handful of Native American lawmakers on the Hill, including Reps. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma), Josh Brecheen (R-Oklahoma) and Sharice Davids (D-Kansas).

But the midterms could result in a blue wave of lawmakers with tribal membership to the House and Senate. Michigan state Rep. Sean McCann, a citizen of the Potawatomi Nation, is running for a House seat, and Mary Peltola, a former lawmaker and Yup’ik tribe member, is running for a Senate seat in Alaska. Peggy Flanagan, the current lieutenant governor of Minnesota and a citizen of the White Earth Nation of Ojibwe, is running in the state’s Democratic Senate primary race.

Nez said that during his tenure as president, he collaborated closely with his Republican Navajo Nation vice president and worked with the federal government as it flipped between parties.

He said that a bipartisan approach is something he is hoping to bring to Congress.

“It’s all about relationship-building,” Nez said.

Nez and Crane are both running uncontested in their primaries, which are set for July 21. For Nez, a win this fall would be historic.

“Yes, I am vying to be the first Native American to be elected from Arizona to the U.S. House of Representatives. That also means that I will be bringing a different perspective in Congress,” Nez said. “They have yet to hear a voice like mine.”