FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Incumbent Rep. Eli Crane has defeated former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez in the race to represent Arizona's 2nd Congressional District, which encompasses Flagstaff and much of the Navajo Nation, according to the Associated Press.
The AP called the race at 6:53 p.m. Arizona time on Saturday, four days after Election Day.
The population of CD2 is almost a quarter Native American — a voting bloc that recently skyrocketed in prominence after their influential involvement in the 2020 presidential election.
The district covers a large portion of northern and eastern Arizona and includes 14 of the 22 federally recognized tribes within the state.
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Eli Crane (Incumbent - R)
Rep. Crane, a Republican and veteran of the United States Navy, was elected to represent the district in 2022, unseating incumbent Tom O'Halleran.
Crane has described himself as "an America First candidate who is pro-life, pro-second amendment, and has the courage to take a stand against cancel culture and the radical left." He is a member of the House Freedom Caucus.
Crane attracted some controversy in 2023 when he called Black people 'colored people' on the U.S. House floor. Crane says he misspoke. That same year, Crane was one of a handful of Republicans who voted to unseat then-Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy from his position.
On his campaign website, Crane says that he is prioritizing increasing border security and "fighting to ban Critical Race Theory in Arizona’s schools.
Jonathan Nez (D)
Jonathan Nez previously served as the vice president and subsequently the president of the Navajo Nation. After losing his reelection bid in 2023, Nez announced that he would be running to represent CD2.
In an interview with the Arizona Daily Sun, Nez said he’s disappointed with the divisiveness in politics, the dysfunction in the capitol and the role Arizona representatives have played in that dysfunction.
Nez served as the Navajo Nation's president from 2019 to 2023 and oversaw the nation's COVID-19 pandemic response.
Nez said he believes voters care less about which party holds the seat than whether their representatives are taking concrete action to improve their lives.
If elected, Nez would be Arizona's first Indigenous Representative in the U.S. House.
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