The Navajo Nation Council is the Legislative Branch of the Navajo Nation government. The council meets four times per year, with additional special sessions, at the Navajo Nation Council Chamber, which is in Window Rock, Arizona.
Joe Shirley Jr. is a Navajo politician who is the only two-term President of the Navajo Nation. He served as president from 2003 to 2011. He lives in Chinle, Arizona, and is Tódíchʼíiʼnii, born for Tábąąhá.
Kelsey A. Begaye was elected the fifth president of the Navajo Nation in November 1998, defeating fellow Democrat Joe Shirley, Jr. in the general election. In 2002, he lost to Shirley in his bid for reelection.
The Navajo Nation Presidential elections took place on November 7, 2006. Primary elections took place on August 8, 2006. Incumbent President Joe Shirley Jr. was re-elected, defeating 11 candidates, including former New Mexico State senator Lynda Lovejoy.
The Navajo Nation presidential election of 2010 was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Ben Shelly won the election.
Ben Shelly was the 7th president of the Navajo Nation. He was the first president to have been elected both president and vice president of the Navajo Nation, as well as the first New Mexican Navajo to hold the Navajo presidency.
Frank Chee Willeto was an American politician and Navajo code talker during World War II. Willeto served as the vice president of the Navajo Nation under President Milton Bluehouse, Sr. from his appointment in August 1998 until January 1999, when the Begaye administration took office.
The office of Vice-President of the Navajo Nation was created in 1991 following restructuring of the Navajo Nation government. The president and vice president are elected every four years. The Navajo Nation Vice-President shall serve no more than two terms.
Sandra D. Jeff is an American politician who served as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from 2009 to 2015.
Sharon E. Clahchischilliage is an American politician and a Republican member of the New Mexico House of Representatives, representing District 4 from 2013-2018. She was elected to the New Mexico Public Education Commission from District 5 in 2022.
Russell Begaye is a Navajo politician who served as the 8th president of Navajo Nation from May 2015 to January 2019. He was the second New Mexican Navajo to hold the Navajo Presidency.
Jonathan Nez is a Navajo politician who served as the 9th President of the Navajo Nation from 2019 to 2023. He previously served as Vice President and as a Navajo Nation Council delegate.
Mark R. Charles is a Native American activist, public speaker, consultant, and author on Native American issues, as well as a journalist, blogger, Reformed pastor, and computer programmer. He was an independent candidate for President of the United States in the 2020 United States presidential election.
Myron Lizer is an American politician and businessman and served as the 10th vice president of the Navajo Nation under President Jonathan Nez.
Jasmine Blackwater–Nygren is an American politician who has served as the First Lady of Navajo Nation since 2023. She also served as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives from the 7th legislative district from 2021 to 2023, when she was the youngest lawmaker in Arizona.
The 2022 Navajo Nation presidential election took place on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, to elect the president and vice president of the Navajo Nation. The primary election was held on August 2. Incumbent president Jonathan Nez ran for reelection with attorney Chad Abeyta as his running mate. Incumbent Vice President Myron Lizer did not seek re-election, instead running for U.S. House in Arizona. Nez and Abeyta advanced to the general election, as did the challenging ticket of construction manager Buu Nygren and Torreon/Star Lake Chapter President Richelle Montoya. Nygren and Montoya won the general election by a 6-point margin, and Montoya became the Navajo Nation's first female vice president.
Buu Nygren is the 10th President of the Navajo Nation. Nygren-Montoya received 34,890 votes, defeating the Nez-Abeyta campaign who received 31,339 votes in the 2022 election. He was sworn in on January 10, 2023.
Richelle Montoya is an American politician who is the 11th vice president of the Navajo Nation. She is the first woman elected to the executive office of Navajo Nation.
The 2015 Navajo Nation Presidential Election was held on April 21, 2015, with the primary on August 26, 2014. Joe Shirley Jr. and Chris Deschene advanced to the general.
Ethel Branch is an American attorney and politician. A member of the Navajo Nation, Branch is currently serving as the 13th Attorney General of the Navajo Nation, having previously served as the 11th.
