Arizona's 2nd Congressional District is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched House races of the midterm election cycle, with control of the chamber potentially hanging in the balance.
On the Democratic side, former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and former Arizona state lawmaker Eric Descheenie are both vying for the party's nomination. The winner would face Republican incumbent Rep. Eli Crane in what would be a rematch of the 2024 race if Nez were to win.
Nez sat down with ABC15 to outline his vision for the district.
When asked why he was making the move from Navajo Nation politics to Congress, Nez pointed to the challenges rural Arizona faced during COVID-19 and what he described as a lack of true representation.
"With what we went through with Covid and so much of the barriers in not just tribal communities and also rural Arizona, it is time for a true representative to represent rural Arizona, especially in Congressional District 2," Nez said. "The folks there are pretty tired of what's going on with the division in Washington between parties, and every time you turn on the television, you see that division. It's about time that all the parties worked together in Washington, just like it used to be."
Nez said his experience leading the Navajo Nation, including having Republicans in his cabinet when he was President, has prepared him to bridge partisan divides in Washington.
"It's working across the aisle," Nez said. "When I was President of the Navajo Nation, I had a Republican Vice President, and we worked together, and we brought in historic amounts of funding."
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee recently identified the CD-2 race as one that could flip from red to blue. Nez welcomed the attention but said his campaign remains focused on local issues.
"I think people recognize this is a grassroots campaign," Nez said. "We accept and welcome other organizations, other people to support our campaign and this is a big boost for us — but party aside, I'll be working for the folks of Arizona and in Arizona 2 to bring in affordable healthcare, fighting for affordable healthcare, and our fair share of water. When I was President of the Navajo Nation, we were able to secure water rights in New Mexico and Utah and rural Arizona, especially in communities that have population growth. We need to bring water, clean water, into those communities. Let's just mention too — infrastructure. There is a need for infrastructure expansion in our communities. Again, to the growth in our communities, to the city of Maricopa, we need to make sure the federal government sees what's happening in rural Arizona."
If Nez were elected, he'd be the first Native American person to represent Arizona in Congress.
ABC15 reached out to Rep. Crane's team to set up an interview, but has not heard back.
His team has issued news releases detailing his support for a new voter ID bill and a bill his office says supports tribal small businesses. His office also says he hosted FEMA in Globe as the agency reconsiders the state's emergency disaster declaration for last fall's flooding.
We also reached out to Mr. Descheenie's campaign team, but have not heard back yet.
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