A FIRST

Ex-Navajo Nation Leader Announces Run Against Far-Right House Republican

The election could see him become the first Native American to represent Arizona in the House.

Former Navajo Nation leader Jonathan Nez, a Democrat, announced a bid to unseat far-right Republican Rep. Eli Crane in an election that could see him become the first Native American to represent Arizona in the House. “I understand the struggles that Second District families are facing right now, from the rising costs of food, gas and child care to increasingly devastating wildfires and health care deserts,” Nez said in his announcement video. Crane, a freshman who won his district with the help of Donald Trump’s endorsement, is one of the hardline Republicans who voted to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from the speakership. Arizona’s Second District includes 14 federally recognized Native American tribes.