Historic Election for Navajo Nation: First Female President-Elect Faces Challenges
The Navajo Nation is witnessing a historic moment as voters have unofficially elected their first female president. Crystalyne Curley, who is also the current Navajo Nation Council Speaker, emerged victorious in the closely contested election, bringing promises of unity amidst rising tensions.
During her victory speech at the Veterans Memorial Field House in Fort Defiance, Curley inspired young girls by stating, “And to the little girls that are out there, shíyázhí, anything is possible. Our daughters, our granddaughters, anything is possible.”
Curley, alongside her running mate, former Arizona Democratic state Rep. Chris Deschene, won by a narrow margin of 1,115 votes. However, the opposing candidate, New Mexico attorney Justin Jones, has refused to concede, escalating the post-election atmosphere.
Speaking from the Navajo Nation Fairgrounds in Window Rock, Jones declared, “We are not conceding. The fight has just begun.” He expressed intentions to challenge the results legally, alleging misconduct. “I get to subpoena you now. I get to file legal documents to show that you are cheating. We’re going to war now.”
Jones questions the accuracy of the vote counts from the tribe’s 110 polling locations across Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, citing “dark, grey mathematical errors.” He emphasized, “We challenge the corruption and the criminals and the crooks of this town, and you threw every piece of bullsh—t at us. Guess what? We’re going to throw back.”
Despite the disputes, outgoing President Buu Nygren took to social media to congratulate Curley on her victory, while also acknowledging Jones for his contributions and vision.
The unofficial results from the Navajo Election Administration revealed that Curley and Deschene received 32,094 votes, while Jones and his running mate, Emily Ellison, garnered 30,979 votes.
“`
—
Read More Arizona News
