Jonathan Nez
| Jonathan Nez | |
|---|---|
| File:Jonathan Nez.jpg | |
| 9th President of the Navajo Nation | |
| Assumed office January 15, 2019 |
|
| Vice President | Myron Lizer |
| Preceded by | Russell Begaye |
| 9th Vice President of the Navajo Nation | |
| In office May 12, 2015 – January 15, 2019 |
|
| President | Russell Begaye |
| Preceded by | Rex Lee Jim |
| Succeeded by | Myron Lizer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 26, 1975 Tuba City, Arizona, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Phefelia Herbert |
| Education | Northland Pioneer College Northern Arizona University (BS, MPA) |
Jonathan Nez (born May 26, 1975[1][2]) is the 9th and current President of the Navajo Nation. He was elected in the 2018 election after having served as Vice President from 2015 to 2019.[3][4][5]
At 43 years of age, Nez is the youngest person to have ever been elected President of the Navajo Nation.[4] Earlier in his career, Jonathan Nez served as a council delegate representing Tsah Bii Kin, Navajo Mountain, Shonto, & Oljato Chapters.
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Early life and education
Nez was born in Tuba City, Arizona,[6] and attended Northland Pioneer College and Northern Arizona University.[5] He attained both a BS in Political science and a Masters of Public Administration from NAU.[5]
Early political career
Earlier in his career, Nez served as vice president of the Navajo Nation's Shonto chapter. He also served as a delegate to the Navajo Nation Council, where he repsented the Oljato, Ts'ah Bii' Kin, Navajo Mountain, and Shonto chapters.[5]
In 2015, he was elected Vice President of the Navajo Nation in a ticket led by Russell Begaye. He was formally sworn into office on May 12, 2015.[7]
On November 6, 2018, Nez was elected President of the Navajo Nation by a margin of 33.07% of the vote versus former President Joe Shirley Jr.[8][9] Shirley had received the endorsement of Begaye and also boasted high name recognition owing to his former tenure. Nez is a candidate for reelection in 2022.[10] During the campaign, Nez endorsed the legalization of same-sex marriage in the Navajo Nation.[11]
COVID-19 pandemic
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As President, Nez has been tasked with overseeing the Navajo Nation's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. By September 2021, the Navajo Nation's COVID-19 vaccination rate was higher than in most other parts of Arizona.[12]
U.S. national politics
Nez was an early primary supporter of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and served on the Hillary for America Arizona Leadership Council.[13]
Nez was selected as one of seventeen speakers to jointly deliver the keynote address at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.[14] He was one of the electors for Arizona in 2020 for the presidential election.[15]
2022 vehicle ramming incident
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Nez and his family were nearly struck when an SUV drove through a parade in Gallup, New Mexico. In total, fifteen people were left injured. Nez later reflected on the event saying "You would think it would never happen here. I’m sorry to say it happened here in Gallup, New Mexico." and "it was a difficult time for us".[16]
References
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External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to [[commons:Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).|Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).]]. |
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | President of the Navajo Nation 2019–present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Vice President of the Navajo Nation 2015-2019 |
Succeeded by Myron Lizer |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Keynote Speaker of the Democratic National Convention 2020 Served alongside: Stacey Abrams, Raumesh Akbari, Colin Allred, Brendan Boyle, Yvanna Cancela, Kathleen Clyde, Nikki Fried, Robert Garcia, Malcolm Kenyatta, Marlon Kimpson, Conor Lamb, Mari Manoogian, Victoria Neave, Sam Park, Denny Ruprecht, Randall Woodfin |
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- Living people
- Northern Arizona University alumni
- Presidents of the Navajo Nation
- Vice Presidents of the Navajo Nation
- Arizona Democrats
- People from Tuba City, Arizona
- 2020 United States presidential electors
- 1975 births
- 20th-century Native Americans
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- Native American people from Arizona
