April 21st , 2026 Len’s Political Note #806 Jonathan Nez Arizona 02
2026 General Election
Arizona’s Second Congressional District is 55% white. It is 20% Native American and 17% Hispanic. Jonathan Nez is part of the 20%. He is a Navajo.
The Navajo nation is the second largest United States recognized tribe. The reservation, which is in the region where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet known as the Four Corners, covers an area roughly the same size as West Virginia. With about 400,000 people, the Navajo tribe has a population that is roughly 25% of the population of West Virginia..
Jonathan Nez was born in Tuba City. With a current population of more than 8,000 people, Tuba City is less than an hour and a half drive north of Flagstaff. Ambitious, Jonathan Nez went school. He went to Northland Pioneer College, a community college that is part of the Navajo County Community College District. He transferred to Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff where he earned his BA and a Master’s in Public Administration.
Not long after earning his Master’s Degree, he was elected Vice President of the Shonto Chapter not far from the Navajo national monument. (A Chapter is the smallest unit of government for the Navajos, something like a small town.) After that, he was elected as a delegate to the national Navajo Council. He kept on keeping on. In 2015, Jonathan Nez was elected Vice President of the Navajo Nation; in 2019 he was elected President.
In 2016, as Vice President of the Navajo Nation, Jonathan Nez endorsed Hillary Clinton’s candidacy for President and spoke on her behalf at the Democratic convention. As President of the Navajo Nation, he dealt with the Covid epidemic. The Navajo Nation’s vaccination rate was higher than most areas of Arizona.
Jonathan Nez ran for reelection in 2019. During the campaign he expressed support for same sex marriage. One newspaper headlined Jonathan Nez’s loss in 2023 focusing on complaints about the slow pace of government.
In his campaign website, Jonathan Nez outlines successes during his presidency in addition to the relative success with Covid. He obtained funds for new healthcare facilities and homes for veterans, expanded the police department, improved rural roads, brought clean water and electricity to thousands of residents who had neither. He touts his ability to work effectively with public officials.
After his loss, Jonathan Nez turned to general population elections. He ran for Congress against the one term incumbent Eli Crane, losing 45 to 54. He outperformed Kamala Harris in Arizona 02 who lost the district 42-57. He also outperformed the newly elected Senator, Ruben Gallego.
Jonathan Nez believes that he can win the 2026 election. He emphasizes protecting mail-in voting and other mechanisms that make it possible for those on the reservation to vote. He argues for reform of the immigration system, calling for the use of new technologies (perhaps the Biden innovation that came too late — mandated internet applications for asylum from across the border). His third and four priorities are lowering the cost of living in the district and defeating the opioid crisis.
The incumbent Republican Eli Crane is a former Navy SEAL who made a fair amount of money with his company that created bottle caps out of shell casings. In Congress, he joined the far right in his party and was one of the small group who ousted Kevin McCarthy as Speaker. In Congress, Crane voted to remove all troops from Syria and to cut off all military aid to Ukraine. According to his campaign, Crane’s first priority is securing the border (he has no comment about ICE and deportations). Protecting the 2nd amendment is his second priority. He has no interest, apparently, in protecting the LGBTQ community. The Sentinel.com quoted Crane’s critics saying he was callous toward members of the LGBTQ community and calculated ways to make their life harder.
Electing Jonathan Nez would be an advance for the people of Arizona 02. Help them do it. DONATE. He could be part of a very big win for Democrats in the southwest and around the country.
Contests among the states of the Four Corners
Arizona
Governor: Reelect Democrat Katie Hobbs. In a February poll, Katie Hobbs led all Republicans. According to Axios, Katie Hobbs started 2026 with $6.2 million while Biggs had less than $1 million. The Republicans will not know who their nominee is until August 4. Help Katie Hobbs have an overwhelming financial lead: DONATE to her campaign. See Len’s Political Note #712
Attorney General: Reelect Democratic incumbent Kris Mayes. A winner in 2022 by a very slim margin, the difference between her as Attorney General and either of the Republican candidates is vast. In January Kris Mayes reported having raised $3.7 million for her campaign. Republican City Councilor Rodney Glassman reported raising $3 million of which $1 million was a personal donation. Republican State Senator Warren Peterson reported raising $1.2 million of which more than $100,000 was a personal donation. Help Kris Mayes extend her lead. DONATE. See Len’s Political Note #714
Secretary of State. Reelect incumbent Adrian Fontes. The issue of what is actually a fair election has, as its focus, the Secretary of State’s office in almost every state. Adrian Fontes is experienced at managing elections and being a target of Republicans. His financial focus has been to obtain enough funds from the legislature to provide adequate election security. He just received Budget Committee approval for a transfer of $2.5 million toward that end. Neither Republican candidate believes the 2020 elections were fair. State Rep Alexander Kolodin was sanctioned by the state Bar Association for his role in lawsuits that attempted to overturn the 2020 election. Party Chair Gina Swoboda started an anti-voting group which has claimed mass voter fraud. Help Adrian Fontes continue providing integrity to the office. DONATE. See Len’s Political Note #773
Arizona 01. There is a big field of Democrats and Republicans. Best to wait until after August 4 for this competitive district.
Arizona 06 Retired Marine Drill Instructor JoAnna Mendoza is running against incumbent Republican Juan Ciscomani. The Republican began 2026 with $3.2 million in hand; JoAnna Mendoza had $1.5 million. Help JoAnna Mendoza remain competitive financially. DONATE. See Len’s Political Note #762
Colorado. – This state is still considering redistricting, information below considers the current districts
Colorado 03. Private Equity investor Democrat Alex Kellofff is challenging the incumbent Republican Jeffrey Hurd who replaced Lauren Boebert in this Republican leaning,district. At the beginning of 2026, Alex Kelloff had $400,000 to Hurd’s $1.6 million. Help Alex Kelloff make this race competitive, even winnable. DONATE to his campaign.
Colorado 04. While this district would ordinarily be thought of as solidly Republican, extremist Republican and inconsistent politician Republican incumbent Lauren Boebert completed the first quarter of 2026 with only $160,000 cash on hand. The probable Democratic nominee, retired Rear Admiral Eileen Laubacher began the second quarter of the year with more than $3 million. Eileen Laubacher will need every dime and more to win in this district. DONATE to her campaign. See Len’s Political Note #793
Colorado 05 is another district where the Democratic candidate has a decent chance to flip a Republican seat. Former Chief of Staff to First Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Jessica Killin, finished the first quarter of 2026 with $1.5 million cash on hand, doing a little better thana the Republican incumbent Jeff Crank’s $1.2 million. DONATE. Help Jessica Killin flip this Republican seat. See Len’s Political Note #768
Nevada
Governor. Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford is running against the Republican incumbent Joe Lombardi, this year burdened by an unpopular President. In a February poll, Aaron Ford trailed by 3 points; in a March poll, he trailed by one. The money race is not as close. At the beginning of the year, Lombardi had $9 million cash on hand plus PAC funds. At the end of the first quarter of 2026, Aaron Ford had $2.5 million plus PAC funds. DONATE. Aaron Ford needs resources if he is going to gain those additional points to flip Nevada to the Democrats. See Len’s Political Note #745
Secretary of State: Incumbent Cisco Aguilar, a former staffer for Senator Harry Reid, spent the early part of his career in the private sector. He was elected in 2022 and can demonstrate the extent to which he takes care about even accidental fraudulent voting. Keep him as Secretary of State – whichever of the four Republicans wins the nomination (the man he defeated in 2022, Jim Marchant, is back in the mix. He is a national figure among election deniers). DONATE. See Len’s Political Note #801
Nevada 03: Incumbent Susie Lee is the most vulnerable of Nevada’s three Democratic Members of Congress and, as a representative of Members from swing districts, is part of the Democratic Congressional leadership. At least eight Republicans are trying to oust her. Don’t let them. DONATE. See Len’s Political Note #770
Utah – There are no competitive races here. Utah will have more fairly drawn congressional districts, districts that are a product of a 2018 voter approved independent redistrict process. In 2021, the Utah Legislature turned the Independent Commission into an advisory group which the legislature had no obligation to follow. The courts have ruled the legislature acted unconstitutionally and restored the process approved by the voters. That process has led to the creation of Utah 01, a district that is very likely to elect a Democrat in 2026 changing Utah’s delegation from 4-0 Republican to 3-1 Republican.
