Buu Nygren entered the Navajo presidential race with a platform echoed by generations of candidates. Most of the roads are unpaved and thousands of families provide basic needs in a vast reservation without running water or electricity.
His expectation that the Navajo would hold him accountable for these promises struck a chord with voters who elected him top of the tribe after Tuesday. President Jonathan Nez led the tribe during the pandemic and signed a much-needed infrastructure plan using federal virus relief funds.
Nyglen’s victory also means the Navajo Nation will have women in the president and vice president offices for the first time, along with his vice presidential candidate Richelle Montoya. Navajo voters put Linda Lovejoy in the presidential general election her second run, but she lost both of her runs.
This location wields influence nationally because it is the largest in the United States, with a large tribal population and a reservation of 27,000 square miles (70,000 square kilometers) across Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. increase. The Cherokee tribe of Oklahoma has a tribal population of 400,000.
After hearing that the Navajo were unhappy with the pace of tribal government and baffled as to why the economy was so sluggish, Nygren clearly continued to focus locally. He acknowledged the hard work ahead.
“I’ve said many times that I want to do something tough,” he told a raucous crowd gathered in the tribal capital of Window Rock on Tuesday night.
Unofficial results put Nygren ahead of Nez by about 3,500 votes, with all 110 constituencies reported. Turnout among the more than 123,000 registered voters was approximately 53 percent, a low turnout for a typical tribal presidential election.
Nygren, 35, has positioned himself as a candidate for change and someone who can get the ball rolling with his long-awaited project. He has a background in construction management and was a candidate for Vice President in 2018, but has never held a political office. He is married to Arizona Rep. Jasmine Blackwater, his Nyglen, who did not seek re-election.
Both Nez and Nygren were fluent in Navajo, but their tone and style were markedly different. Nezu preferred suits and often spoke calmly and discreetly. Niglen had her hair tied in a traditional bun, wore more casual attire, and had a flair for up-and-down speech.
Nygren promised to work more closely with the Navajo Nation Council, often viewed as more powerful than the tribal president.
The new 24-member council includes a record nine women. Her three current council delegates did not seek re-election. Thirteen delegates lost the primary election or lost the general election. That means there are a lot of newcomers.
The newly elected leader takes office in January.
Nez rose to the presidency after more than 20 years of elected office in Navajo County and tribal governments. He chose lawyer and veteran Chad Abeita as his running mate. Nez said she spoke with Nigren on Wednesday and congratulated him.
Nez said of the administration’s efforts to ensure tribes receive a portion of federal virus relief funds, including $1 billion set aside by Navajo leaders for infrastructure projects. I was outlining.
The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted inequalities in basic services and put the Navajo in the spotlight, which has been one of the most infected nations in the United States.
“I hope the next administration will honor the will of our current leaders by carrying out these projects for the people,” Nez said in a statement.
The tribe has long relied on revenues from the coal industry for government funding, but those revenues are dwindling as coal-fired power plants and mines close. Navajo Nation, which he owns shares in one coal-fired power plant and several coal mines, is committed to developing renewable energy sources.
Tourism also helps boost the Navajo economy. The towering rock formations of Shiprock, Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly attract international visitors. So is the story of the famous Navajo code his talker who developed a code that the Japanese never cracked during World War II.
