Woman wins right to seek Navajo Nation presidency

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — For the first time, a woman will be one of two candidates facing off in the November general election for the chance to lead the country's largest American Indian reservation.

Tens of thousands of Navajo voters turned out at the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots. With the results in from all but one of the tribe's 110 chapters, current President Joe Shirley Jr. finished first, followed by Lynda Lovejoy of Crownpoint, N.M., and Frank Dayish Jr., who is currently the tribe's vice president.

Shirley received 27.9 percent of the vote in unofficial results, followed by Lovejoy at 22.37 percent and Dayish at 17.26 percent.

The results must be certified by tribal elections officials within the next 30 days, but Lovejoy said she had a feeling she would be one of the top finishers in the presidential primary.

"The results show people want a change in the way our government is functioning," said Lovejoy, who is a member of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission.

With Shirley and Dayish generating the most attention in the race, election observers hadn't predicted that Lovejoy would separate the two.

"They thought she would do good but not as good as she's doing," said Edison Wauneka, director of the Navajo Elections Administration.

Former tribal council delegate Ernest Harry Begay of Rock Point, Ariz., finished fourth, and Vern Lee, a heavy diesel mechanic from Fruitland, N.M., was fifth. The other candidates were far behind after collecting few votes in many chapters.

The results announced to the crowd late Tuesday at the Window Rock Sports Center were unofficial, but that didn't stop those who were wearing yellow Lovejoy T-shirts from chanting "Joe's got to go." Meanwhile, Shirley's camp repeated "Four more years."

Shirley said he was surprised by the results.

"I don't think anybody could have predicted it," he said, referring to Lovejoy making it past the primary.

Lovejoy said her compassion and honesty helped her reach Navajo voters along with her belief "about responsibility and accountability for the people."

Tribal officials had predicted that more than half of the 96,582 eligible Navajos would vote. The results showed the turnout was nearly 48 percent.

Mary S. Johnson, 87, of Black Rock, cast her ballot mid-afternoon at the Fort Defiance chapter house. She wouldn't reveal who she voted for but said she hoped neither Shirley nor Dayish wins.