NAVAJO NATION, AZ — ABC15 is tracking the latest in the race for Navajo Nation President.
After the July 21 Primary, Justin Jones and Crystalyne Curley were the top two candidates, defeating incumbent Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, who was running for a second term and came in third place.
Nygren who did not earn enough votes to move on to the General Election.
Jones is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, attorney, and former judge, who also has a background in education.
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Curley is the current Navajo Nation Council Speaker and is the first female to hold that role. If elected, she would be the first woman to ever hold the office of Navajo Nation President.
"It brings hope to all of our children," Curley told ABC15's Nick Ciletti on Monday. "The Navajo society is a society of duality. And being able to work on both sides. And having that sense of hope that everyone's voice matters. And more, it's never been about gender. It's about how we can move this Nation forward."
In an interview, she said: "We have been talking about the issues of infrastructure, bringing our children home to the Navajo Nation, creating and establishing a permanent homeland, meaning infrastructure and economic development...and also bringing integrity back to the Navajo Nation office of President and Vice President."
"All of this is for our future," added Curley's newly-selected running mate, former Arizona House lawmaker and Persian Gulf War veteran, Chris Deschene. "It's for our young and for our little ones who are yet to come and to share in this great country of ours."
To learn more about Curley's campaign for Navajo Nation President, click here.
ABC15 reached out to Jones' team to request an interview, but so far we have not heard back. We found a recent speech he made that was posted on his campaign's official Facebook page where he said the Navajo Nation needed new leadership.
"We need an administration and a staff that does not owe political favors to others," explained Jones. "And we do not need people that have political debts that they have to pay for. The only way that's going to happen is if you have a new administration and have a new staff."
Jones picked Emily Ellison, the director of a nonprofit organization, as his candidate for vice president.
In the meantime, to learn more about his campaign, click here.
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