Navajo Nation Speaker Crystalyne Curley made history on Nov. 3, becoming the first woman elected president of one of the largest Indigenous tribes in the United States. She defeated Farmington attorney Justin Jones based on returns posted by the Navajo Nation in Window Rock.
Curley previously made history as the first woman elected Speaker, presiding over the 25th Navajo Nation Council during her first term as a Council Delegate representing Tachee/Blue Gap, Many Farms, Nazlini, Tselani/Cottonwood and Low Mountain communities.
Curley and running mate Christopher Deshene took a narrow lead in the race after trading leads early in the evening with Jones and his vice presidential pick, Emily Ellison.
The two candidates were running to replace incumbent President Buu Nygren, who was defeated in the primaries. The closest the tribe has come to voting in a woman for president was in 2010.
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While other women have attempted to run for president in the years since, none had managed to make it past the primaries until Navajo Nation Speaker and presidential hopeful Crystalyne Curley. Advancing beyond the primaries on her first presidential run is a significant milestone, adding to an already historic record. Curley was elected twice as Speaker of the Navajo Nation, making history as the first woman to hold the position.
She faces Justin Jones, who owns his own law office and has previously run for president. This marks the first time Jones has advanced beyond the primaries and secured a primary victory. Of the 16 presidential candidates, Jones came in first with 15,098 votes, and Curley trailed with 8,670 votes, with Nygren finishing third with 7,430 votes.
"We are seven days away from what we expect to be a very comfortable victory for Justin Jones and Emily Ellison," said Jones during a recent rally. "In addition to that, it's not about Emily and I. It's about you, Navajo Nation. This campaign has always been about the Navajo people."
Voting during Navajo Nation primaries wasn't impressive: Out of 142,912 registered Navajo Nation voters, only 49,274 actually cast a ballot during the Navajo Nation primaries on July 21, according to the official primary results. That's only 34% of voters casting ballots.
Curley and her vice presidential running mate, Chris Deschene, who ran his own campaign for president in 2014, face Jones and his running mate, Emily Ellison. Ellison has run for president in every election since 2018 and placed 13th in the 2026 election.
"We are about unity, togetherness, love and compassion," said Curley about her and Deschene's campaign during their Oct. 29 rally. "There have been many leaders and mentors in my life who have helped me get to this point. Weve seen what womens leadership can bring, and weve seen it on the Council through how many administrations? But our work is not done. Now, we want to make history by becoming the first woman Navajo president.
Crystalyne Curley, seen her in July with Chris Deschene as her vice presidential running mate in Window Rock, is the first woman elected president of one of the largest Indigenous tribes in the United States.
Council seats are also on the ballot
The presidential race is not the only election drawing attention across the Navajo Nation, the second-largest federally recognized tribe in the United States.
Another highly anticipated race is for seats on the Navajo Nation Council, which consists of 24 delegates. These delegates will represent the Nations 110 chapters, making the council election an important one for communities throughout the Navajo Nation.
This was Curleys first term as a council delegate representing the Tachee/Blue Gap, Whippoorwill, Nazlini and Tselani/Cottonwood Chapters. Because she is running for president, she was unable to seek re-election to her council seat. Her departure left the seat open, creating an opportunity for former Navajo Nation Speaker Johnny Naize to enter the race unopposed.
Naize served as Speaker from January 2011 to September 2014. He resigned from his position as Speaker and council delegate after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery.
Five incumbent council delegates lost their seats during the primaries, while another incumbent, Council Delegate Eugenia Charles Newton, who represented the Shiprock Chapter, withdrew her candidacy after the San Juan County Clerks Office accepted her declaration of candidacy for magistrate judge. This opened the door for third-place finisher Jonnye Kalbah Begay to move up and begin campaigning for the council seat.
In one of the council's final actions before voters head to the polls, lawmakers passed legislation sponsored by outgoing Newton to place a referendum before voters. The measure would ask the public to decide whether to increase the delegates annual base salary from $25,000 to $70,000 while eliminating meeting stipends.
The current salary of $25,000 was set in 1989, when the Council had 88 delegates. Council reduced its members after a 2009 referendum, where voters approved a measure to have 24 delegates. Delegates also receive stipends for attending eligible meetings, generally $60 per meeting, while certain presiding chairs receive $80.
The proposed measures would be placed on the next qualifying regularly scheduled Navajo Nation election ballot at least 60 days after the resolution takes effect. If no qualifying election is scheduled, the legislation provides for a special election.
