Where they stand — side by side

These summaries are the site’s words, linked to source. Spot one that misses something? Tell us →

Summaries in the site’s words — their exact words are on their Q&A pages.

Melinda Arviso-Ciocco (Council)
Extensive on Title 2 and the 1989 history and especially on the government-reform document now circulating, which she discussed in detail (due-process steps, a culture/language position, the UN Declaration on Indigenous Rights), plus the 164 process and 638 contract mechanics.

Eugene Badonie (Council)
Spoke from history: Albert Hale — his law mentor, whom he credits with putting Title 2 together —, the unfinished post-1989 government-reform/constitution project, LGA/AFOG, the township dual-government rationale, the 164-process red tape, and a working grasp of the Navajo Business Opportunity Act (NBOA) priority tiers.

Donovan Begay (President)
Begay traced the Council’s power over the president to the 1989 reforms and Title 2, which created checks on the executive and ended the old chairman role. Asked what a 638 school is and, later, about the Navajo Business Opportunity Act, he said he was not familiar with either but would find out and answer at a different time. He is a few months into his first chapter office as a secretary/treasurer and described himself as learning the process. full interview →

Jordan Begay (President)
Discussed Title 2 roles, the FY26/FY27 budget cycle, the Sihasin (the Nation’s settlement-savings fund) Fund, and federal partners

Gervana Begay (Council)
Understood the funding flow (divisions request, council allocates via Budget & Finance) and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)/CSN/capital-outlay sources, Title 2 specifics did not come up in detail, and she answered the three-branch question in terms of teamwork.

J. Kaibah Begay (Council)
Agreed with the host’s framing that Title 2 reform remains unfinished since 1989; says it "needs to be revamped," is open to ideas up to a temporary chairmanship return, and wants Title I fundamental-law and cultural teachings infused into the structure. Named the Office of Government Development when asked, saying it needs "people that are willing to make those changes." Frames power as belonging to the people — delegates hold power only in session.

Shaquille Begay (Council)
Had read the government-reform proposal and cited specifics, and described the three-branch structure as “given to us from our external parties,” favored the government-reform effort, and cited the dismissed jurisdictional court case between the branches.

Greg Bigman (Council)
Exceptional depth — Title 2's governing-body authority and executive-execution role, the 1989 chairmanship history, Section 17/18 corporate structure, with corporate-law command no one else matched.

Darryl Bitsoi (Council)
Asked about Title 2, he said in his own words: “Three-branch government. I was reading up on it, but I didn’t write it down” — candor he repeated on other statutory topics. (His fullest answers are in Diné Bizaad on the video; see the note above.)

Andrew Curley (President)
Discussed structural analysis of governance; land-reform framework

Christopher Curley (Council)
Knew the Office of Government Development/government-reform process and supports it, and showed deep command of the Title I/Title V framework, HEHSC oversight, and CMS reimbursement, though some answers were diffuse.

Emily Ellison (President)
Fluent on three-branch roles, the 1921 chairmanship and Henry Chee Dodge history, the 1989 Title 2 amendments, procurement law, the NBOA, and 638; proposes an elected Attorney General and moving Ethics & Rules out from under Council.

Mikhail Ganadonegro (Council)
Described the legislative path accurately — committees (budget/finance, HEHSC, law & order) to council to Office of the President and Vice President (OPVP), plus the president’s veto/sign step and the 88-to-24 reapportionment, which he opposes (“I don’t agree with the 24”); he said he had not yet gotten into Title 2 and answered that the president oversees each branch.

Zachariah George (Council)
Recounted the 1989 crisis (a chairman with too much power, missing money, the riot) and discussed Title 2, the still-temporary three-branch government, certified vs. uncertified chapters,; opposed the circulating constitution proposal, which as he understood it creates a four-branch government.

Joan Gray (Council)
Described the executive-legislative power struggle from inside OPVP and attributed the imbalance to recycled long-serving delegates pushing prior administrations’ agendas — naming the Speaker and Budget & Finance chair as examples of “tag-teaming.”

Marsha Greyeyes (Council)
Commanded Title 2 in detail (the delegate's lawmaker/representative/oversight/sovereignty roles), the line-item-veto override nuance on budgets, the Local Governance Act, the 1989 chairmanship-to-presidency transition, ONGD/government-reform debate, and Title 26 reserved powers.

Jamie Henio (Council)
Top-tier as an attorney and former delegate — Title 2, the 1989 commission and government-reform history, the Title 11 election code, the ethics-office/hearings-and-appeals structure, Section 17 charters, and an elected-AG analysis.

Vince James (Council)
Discussed the budget-instruction-manual (BIM) policy, Title 17, the government-development commissioner/referendum process (referencing the unrest era in which it originated).

Relinda M. John (Council)
Candidly drew a blank on Title 2 and conflated it with Title 26, though she understood chapter certification and the five-management system under DCD.

Johnny Russell Jr. (President)
Spoke at length on Eastern Agency land status (checkerboard, allotments, Bennett Freeze, Hopi disputes); limited breadth elsewhere by his own account

Charlie Smith Jr. (Council)
Presented a detailed, code-literate platform — 25 CFR 167, Title 26 LGA certification, Title 17, Title 2 checks and balances, the detention consent decree — and traced Title 2 and the LGA system to the post-1989 reforms.

Andrienne Lister (Council)
Misidentified Title 2 as the delegates’ meeting rules and spoke only in general terms about the Office of Government Development, while describing the ASC/DCD chapter-takeover mechanics in step-by-step operational detail, certified-vs-uncertified status, and the Ethics contracted-judge structure.

Myron Lizer (President)
Brings executive-branch experience and a feel for protocol and hierarchy from serving as vice president, but was noticeably general on structural specifics, needing the host to fill in the government-reform history and the 1989 council power consolidation.

Andy Nez (Council)
Discussed Title 2 structure, the line-item-veto budget conflict, the Office of Government Development's history (he pulled its funding over carryovers), Title 10 education code, and the Title V 638 charter.

Titus J. Nez (Council)
MacDonald-era sovereignty, the 1989 Title 2 shift, Hale's local-empowerment plan gutted into Title 26, Office of Government Development turnover, and judicial inconsistency.

Debbie Nez-Manuel (President)
Described administrative and budget experience from division-director service (oversight reporting, federal-funding structure, the confirmation process, multi-department management), though less focused on Title 2 structural mechanics; candidly noted she does not know who is currently tracking federal treaty obligations.

Larry Noble (President)
Proposed structural changes: a temporary return to the chairmanship and a party system while Title 2 is amended

Laurelle Sheppard (Council)
Detailed operational command of the law-enforcement and 638 structure (the patrol/CI two-command split, chief as an executive appointee, DOI/Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) oversight), but did not name Title 2 and described the broader three-branch framework only in general terms.

Demetria Simms (Council)
Got the gist of Title 2 ('how our government is run') but was vague, unfamiliar with what the Office of Government Development does, and repeatedly could not name which title she would change.

Germaine Simonson (Council)
Commanded the budget process in detail — base planning amounts, line-item-veto override limits, the Shirley-v-Morgan precedent, separation of powers, and the 88-to-24 history.

Arvin Trujillo (President)
Walked through Title 2 and the three-branch structure: walked through the veto / line-item veto / council-override dynamic, the majority/supermajority process, the 88-to-24 council reduction, republic vs. traditional governance.

LaVonne Tsosie (Council)
Detailed process command from working all three branches — Title 2/Section 102, the 1989 history, Title 26 chapter authority, and the government-reform history (she staffed Leo Watchman Sr.'s effort) — though she conceded gaps in specific policy domains.

Cornelia Carm Wagoner (Council)
Knows the Navajo Business Opportunity Act and 638 well from experience, but openly states limited depth on Title 2 (the host supplied the history).

Christopher D. White (Council)
Got the gist of Title 2 (too much power once given the chairman) but vaguely, and had to ask the host whether the Office of Government Development was about 'giving power back to the people' — he did not know it.

Kimberlee Williams (Council)
Explained the Office of Government Development’s planning/coordination role; on where Title 2 sits and the separation-of-powers history, she answered in general terms.

Curtis Yanito (Council)
Sees Title 2 itself as workable ('I don't see a problem with it... it doesn't have that much power') and faults enforcement instead; on the Office of Government Development, says over $90 million has been spent with reform still unfinished.

Eula Yazzie (Council)
Brings firsthand knowledge of the 1989-90 three-branch transition she served through, but needed prompting on current specifics such as the Office of Government Development which the host then named.

Marcella Yazzie (Council)
Fluent in chapter-level processes (ICIP, OMB, procurement, the BAM policy book) with fewer specifics on Title 2 and undecided about the Office of Government Development, saying she was 'not really familiar' with it.

Dr. Christine J. Benally (Council)
Firsthand Title 26 history — Sanostee chapter vice president (1996–98) through the chapter audits and hearings that became the LGA; attended four reform hearings and opposed a fourth branch; explains the referendum path accurately; on Title 2, would study and amend with colleagues rather than promise a one-vote fix.

Jerilynn Yazzie (President)
She said Title 2 was enacted to form the three-branch government but is not complete — which is why the Office of Government Development exists — and described the Nation as running on a “temporary government.” To finish it, she said the p full answer →

Lewnell Harrison (Council)
Harrison said he sat through a government-reform presentation and came away very disappointed, and noted the Office of Government Development has been defunded and revived repeatedly because people question its productivity. full answer →

Richelle Montoya (President)
Montoya described the titles as a “guide” written in a very different era that now needs updating, and said the Nation has effectively run on a temporary government since the Council gained the power to remove a president. full answer →

These summaries are the site’s words, linked to source. Spot one that misses something? Tell us →

Summaries in the site’s words — their exact words are on their Q&A pages.

Melinda Arviso-Ciocco (Council)
Substantial institutional experience and proactivity (she pulled 638 contracts in to set timelines), though more staff/appointee than elected leadership; she also recounted reporting the misuse of a P-card in her name — over $24,000 in purchases she says she had no knowledge of or approval over — and being told “no one’s going to help you”.

Eugene Badonie (Council)
A long command record — Kayenta Township presiding chair, KTNN board chair, Workforce Investment Board chair, chapter manager — paired with strong conviction (vowing zero tolerance for executive dysfunction).

Donovan Begay (President)
Begay’s first commitment is to sit down with the Council and sort out which projects are close to completion and which matter most to communities. On appointments, he pushed back on clearing out directors wholesale: a president should run an evaluation phase and understand the people already doing the job. On ranch deficits, he said he would rely on a team of people who know more than he does. full answer →

Jordan Begay (President)
Structured First 100 Days plan; project-management approach using confirmed executive directors

Gervana Begay (Council)
Described building a San Juan River irrigation task force bringing farmers, community and a division together, framing leadership as collaboration and customer service, though she sidestepped the harder governance questions.

J. Kaibah Begay (Council)
A doctorate in educational administration, 36+ years in education, and 12 years as Shiprock Chapter secretary-treasurer; relational, consensus-building leadership rooted in traditional teachings.

Shaquille Begay (Council)
Brought a project-management framing (stakeholders, deliverables, phased solutions) and a new-leadership, servant posture.

Greg Bigman (Council)
Significant high-capacity roles (Diné College board chair, Oil & Gas, Natani), his Diné College term expired and he was replaced before the provost controversy; the Natani Development matter remains in legal process, which he addressed within those limits.

Darryl Bitsoi (Council)
His decision framework: whether a measure is 'doable/feasible' and to 'communication,'.

Andrew Curley (President)
Described the executive’s limits and divided power

Christopher Curley (Council)
Brings a leadership record — Marine, 638 hospital board member since 2012, and coaching students — and centers his platform on trust-building and unity.

Emily Ellison (President)
Runs a domestic-violence nonprofit but states plainly she has never held elected or government office; positions herself as an advocate for better governance.

Mikhail Ganadonegro (Council)
Framed delegates as public servants whose 'bosses are the people,' favoring work sessions, neutrality and open-mindedness over imposing his own way; thoughtful but new to the role.

Zachariah George (Council)
Centered leadership on bridging Window Rock and local chapters and ending the mutual blame between them, between them.

Joan Gray (Council)
Stressed a non-biased, one-on-one approach to the president, though the host pushed back, suggesting she was defending the current administration.

Marsha Greyeyes (Council)
Leads a nine-member local governance council, was 'baptized in hellfire' fighting RDC/DED over Shonto's business-site-leasing authority, and frames leadership as coalition-building with like-minded candidates rather than emotional appeals.

Jamie Henio (Council)
A sustained record — former 24th Council delegate, chapter vice president, school board member, and police officer — alongside genuine entrepreneurial leadership.

Vince James (Council)
The host called him “a voice of reason”; he described his role as HEHSC chair and lawmaker in specific, procedural terms.

Relinda M. John (Council)
Principled and collaborative ('stronger communities together'), having resigned rather than be pressured to campaign for the president.

Johnny Russell Jr. (President)
Calls to redo the administration and replace personnel; leadership vision described in general terms rather than mechanisms; loosely articulated

Charlie Smith Jr. (Council)
Drew on a long service record in law enforcement, the military and as a chapter president, framing leadership around oath of office, courage and integrity.

Andrienne Lister (Council)
Stepped up to lead Dilkon when no one else would and is fighting visible corruption, but is new to the role and largely reactive.

Myron Lizer (President)
Genuine top-level executive credential — four years as vice president elected on a 68% mandate, plus 35 years in business — and his own assessment that he should have pushed harder on his $160M economic-development request during COVID.

Andy Nez (Council)
A highly productive incumbent — 72+ legislations introduced, major funds sponsored, strong congressional relationships, and monthly regional meetings convening officials, farm board, grazing, and veterans.

Titus J. Nez (Council)
A sitting delegate on the Law & Order Committee, former chapter coordinator, and school-board president; strong, though only months into the seat.

Debbie Nez-Manuel (President)
Varied executive and organizing leadership: division/HR director, national party leadership (DNC committeewoman and regional/caucus vice president), launching three $1M grant programs in 90 days, and youth leadership work she credits with zero suicides.

Larry Noble (President)
Frames the presidency as leadership with directors sharing one vision; employer/employee framing

Laurelle Sheppard (Council)
Built a victim-advocacy program from funding to boots-on-the-ground in three months across five offices, and created the culturally grounded 'Healing Through Weaving' support model.

Demetria Simms (Council)
Veterans leadership roles (ran the Northern Agency commander program largely alone, advocated in DC), but leaned on 'hold people accountable' without specifics on governance.

Germaine Simonson (Council)
An active incumbent and HEHSC vice-chair who sponsored several measures and was willing to absorb political heat trying to break the budget impasse, describing herself as a community organizer at heart.

Arvin Trujillo (President)
Twelve years running the Division of Natural Resources plus chief-of-staff service, with a concrete delivery record; frames leadership as 'results, not recognition' and stresses employee buy-in and not taking debate personally.

LaVonne Tsosie (Council)
Three terms as a chapter official, Agency Council President, and Precinct Council Secretary, and she organized her community's direct PowerPoint advocacy to the new council.

Cornelia Carm Wagoner (Council)
School-board president, four-term Indian Health Service (IHS) Health Board member, and senior-center supervisor — solid service leadership without a governing-body record.

Christopher D. White (Council)
Real service leadership as a chapter president ('Power Back to the People') and former officer, but his governance leadership is thin and unformed.

Kimberlee Williams (Council)
Cited her record (board treasurer, opened the Sacred Peaks Health Center, repeated DC advocacy), she answered oversight questions from her treasurer experience, declined CFO-level billing specifics as outside her former role, and ended the interview early for a family pickup.

Curtis Yanito (Council)
Active incumbent work — sponsoring nursing-home legislation and a uranium settlement — but his answers were scattered.

Eula Yazzie (Council)
Leadership rests on long experience; her accountability platform was described in broad strokes rather than specific mechanisms.

Marcella Yazzie (Council)
Graded her own chapter tenure a candid 'C' and centered leadership on accountability, transparency and listening to residents.

Dr. Christine J. Benally (President)
Benally’s career is in public health and environmental health: an IHS epidemiologist and commissioned officer who did emergency-response work, retired in 2013, and has kept working since as a consultant — program evaluation, bud full answer →

Jerilynn Yazzie (President)
Yazzie is an artisan and small-business owner of about 20 years from the Cameron area. full answer →

Lewnell Harrison (Council)
Harrison is recently retired. full answer →

Richelle Montoya (President)
Montoya described a difficult, adversarial relationship with the administration during her term — being left out of decisions and having support and resources withdrawn — so that much of her work had to happen one-on-one with employees behi full answer →

These summaries are the site’s words, linked to source. Spot one that misses something? Tell us →

Summaries in the site’s words — their exact words are on their Q&A pages.

Melinda Arviso-Ciocco (Council)
Engaged with her precinct chapters, her recent experience making and selling cradleboards (“just a little dip in the arena”), the Churchrock vendor-warehouse idea, and constituents' homesite and land-board issues.

Eugene Badonie (Council)
Hands-on Chilchinbeto roots — organizing cattlemen, running the fair golf tournament for seven years, the veterans group, and taking his school class to tour Nation ranches.

Jordan Begay (President)
15 years serving Diné and other tribes; cites families reaching out; supports agency-level decentralization

Gervana Begay (Council)
Her clear strength — hands-on farm-board engagement, monthly meetings, site visits and home-site-lease casework that constituents praised as her most positive forum.

J. Kaibah Begay (Council)
Shiprock roots as a farmer, longtime chapter officer, and Northern Navajo Fair board member, with a family history of leadership in the northern region.

Shaquille Begay (Council)
Roots his run in lived community struggle (gray tap water at home) and advocacy for those without a voice.

Greg Bigman (Council)
His profile is boards, enterprises, and consulting more than grassroots chapter casework, and the interview showed comparatively little hands-on community work.

Darryl Bitsoi (Council)
Stressed a 'community effort rather than your own' and working together with chapters, but.

Andrew Curley (President)
Chapter-centered philosophy; academic community roots

Christopher Curley (Council)
Cited extensive youth and elder work, gives out his phone number, and a youth committee was among the platform items recapped in the interview.

Emily Ellison (President)
Domestic-violence services for Navajo families and a visible repeat candidacy, though more advocacy and campaign than chapter-level organizing.

Mikhail Ganadonegro (Council)
Platform is built on chapter visits and one-on-one conversations in his communities, identifying gaps like chapter-service-coordinator training, and committing to monthly community meetings across all his chapters.

Zachariah George (Council)
Argued for taking government-reform input chapter to chapter across all 110 chapters rather than centralized hearings, and framed his run as giving back after a long public career.

Joan Gray (Council)
Emphasized grassroots, one-on-one work with families and chapter meetings, citing direct field services for constituents.

Marsha Greyeyes (Council)
Engages through the Shonto presidency, a regional slate of meet-and-greets, Change Labs technical assistance to Navajo entrepreneurs, and the Black Mesa Review Board.

Jamie Henio (Council)
Ramah roots through police, school board, and chapter work, and hands-on veterans-housing intake fieldwork, though the interview leaned more legal-policy than current casework.

Vince James (Council)
Tracks his chapters' projects in granular detail across ARPA, RRR, CHSN, UUFB and CIP funding streams.

Relinda M. John (Council)
Did this work as a community representative — home-site leases, senior centers, veterans, home repairs — and pledged the same one-on-one approach.

Johnny Russell Jr. (President)
Land-board service; champions tradesmen and small entities; helps chapters use the nearest agency

Charlie Smith Jr. (Council)
Cited reviving the Cameron Veterans Organization and a teamwork ethic urging feuding chapters to cooperate.

Andrienne Lister (Council)
A deeply engaged chapter president who attends veterans meetings and knows her constituents' water and housing needs firsthand.

Myron Lizer (President)
Points to front-line COVID service (food and PPE distribution) and partnership with the Northern Agency Veterans Organization, though his orientation leans toward federal relationships more than chapter-level organizing.

Andy Nez (Council)
Exceptional — roughly 98% chapter and planning-meeting attendance, monthly four-chapter regional meetings, and adopt-a-street initiatives.

Titus J. Nez (Council)
Gave his personal cell number to all constituents and solicits their guidance before floor votes; active at chapters and ceremonies.

Debbie Nez-Manuel (President)
Roughly 40 self-initiated chapter meetings, multiple agency-council meetings, a recall effort that gathered over 11,000 signatures and 77 resolutions, and fundraising help for community fairs.

Larry Noble (President)
Cites chapter calls and rancher and business roots; critiques a boarding-school mentality

Laurelle Sheppard (Council)
Deeply community-embedded victim-services work, deliberately hiring Navajo-speaking advocates from the community and shaping culturally relevant programming.

Demetria Simms (Council)
Described her engagement in the veterans community across 110 chapters and a regular at chapter meetings.

Germaine Simonson (Council)
Attends chapter and planning meetings and championed moving the Youth Advisory Council to legislative, but candidly rated her own chapter presence only 'fair' given the workload.

Arvin Trujillo (President)
Emphasizes restoring a customer-service mentality and listening to communities and chapters, framed around government service delivery.

LaVonne Tsosie (Council)
Deeply engaged — she attends all five chapters' meetings, has built a portfolio on each, and knows the relocatee community and its fire-department and school-audit troubles firsthand.

Cornelia Carm Wagoner (Council)
Extensive roots through senior centers, school board, and health board, with a focus on communication to the community, students, and elders.

Christopher D. White (Council)
Grassroots-focused — a chapter president who listens closely to constituents, served on the COVID team, and has seen household hardship firsthand on home visits.

Kimberlee Williams (Council)
Extensive grassroots detail — water-hauling stations by chapter, livestock and windmill upkeep, and visual presentations at veteran, commander, chapter and senior meetings.

Curtis Yanito (Council)
Participates in meetings when invited and works area projects, but acknowledged he does not track his own chapter attendance.

Eula Yazzie (Council)
Cited concrete chapter projects (senior center, multipurpose buildings, a public school) and said community members urged her to run again.

Marcella Yazzie (Council)
Detailed grassroots engagement — monthly chapter meetings, regular visits, and door-to-door ARPA assessments at every veteran's home.

Lewnell Harrison (Council)
Harrison said Title 26 is the Local Governance Act governing chapters, and that he strongly dislikes how it works after certification: certified chapters hire their own CPAs and legal advisors and stop going through the Auditor General. full answer →

Richelle Montoya (President)
Her top priority is completing stalled chapter projects — senior centers, Head Start, HVAC, bathroom, electrical and plumbing upgrades, and roads. full answer →

These summaries are the site’s words, linked to source. Spot one that misses something? Tell us →

Summaries in the site’s words — their exact words are on their Q&A pages.

Melinda Arviso-Ciocco (Council)
Spoke in detail on the reform document's due-process framework (lettered steps, timelines, case tracking) and would place the president on leave over the $24M, though she leans on that document more than her own enforcement mechanisms.

Eugene Badonie (Council)
Anti-corruption focus — wanting stronger safeguard laws, faulting Budget & Finance for the ZenniHome lapse ('everybody's at fault, down to division directors'), and his 'math doesn't lie' rodeo-profit critique.

Donovan Begay (President)
Begay said a president should be held one hundred percent accountable to the law — down to appointing an attorney general who would prosecute the president without regard for who they are. He called neglect of the responsibilities of one’s position the biggest pressing problem, and after learning of a Durango-area ranch purchase many people never knew about, said the Nation should publish a list of its ranches and what each offers. full interview →

Jordan Begay (President)
Opens the term with a forensic audit of the executive branch; presses federal partners on treaty obligations and fund compliance

Gervana Begay (Council)
Said she would work closely with community, and pointed to the Code and chain of command when asked about serving as an independent financial check ('depends on the budget... the laws are in place').

J. Kaibah Begay (Council)
A central theme — "you’re not above the law," follow the laws, make the hard decisions — backed by first-hand work cleaning up fair-fund accountability and pressing for enterprise and board oversight.

Shaquille Begay (Council)
Stressed constituent-driven decisions, stronger HEHSC oversight, and deliverable-based accountability for contracts.

Greg Bigman (Council)
A central, well-developed theme — a Transparency Act and sunshine laws, closing the president's grant loophole, the recall-petition fight, the whistleblower-law gap, and auditing 638 funds.

Darryl Bitsoi (Council)
Repeatedly invoked 'accountability' and being 'up front,' but as general principles rather than concrete practices.

Andrew Curley (President)
OPVP reduction; structural accountability framework

Christopher Curley (Council)
Framed accountability as answering directly to constituents ('make me accountable, give me a call'), though with fewer specific financial-transparency mechanisms.

Emily Ellison (President)
A core "Sunshine Laws" platform: public record of all stipends, reimbursements, and grants; enterprises to disclose salaries, bonuses, board members, and minutes.

Mikhail Ganadonegro (Council)
Pledged to be up front about how money is used, hold regular meetings, and tell constituents exactly how and why he votes, stating he answers to the people rather than outside influence.

Zachariah George (Council)
On spending accountability, pointed to capital-outlay money reverting to state and federal governments when Navajo processes run too slowly, and to understaffing at OMB and finance.

Joan Gray (Council)
Made transparency her core theme — sharing budgets 'down to the last dime' and a proposed law requiring monthly financial reports from every delegate — and questioned the lack of oversight on legislative spending.

Marsha Greyeyes (Council)
Accountability is her lead pillar — she proposed a detailed 'know your vendor' law (five years of audits, debt schedules, pending litigation, beneficial-owner and conflict-of-interest disclosures) and demanded ROI accounting on DED/RBDO spending.

Jamie Henio (Council)
Sophisticated proposals — expanding the ethics office's jurisdiction to board and enterprise employees, a carefully caveated whistleblower app, and separating ethics/elections/appeals into a quasi-independent body.

Vince James (Council)
Anchored accountability in following the BIM policy and proposed adding the legislative branch to the 164 contract-review process — an idea the host praised.

Relinda M. John (Council)
Committed to explaining every sponsorship and vote and to a round-table approach bringing chapters, BIA, state and Navajo Nation together.

Johnny Russell Jr. (President)
Calls to remove bad actors across all three branches; specific mechanisms did not come up

Charlie Smith Jr. (Council)
Tied accountability to the oath of office and said he would vet contracts by interrogating intent and benefit, drawing on his police background.

Andrienne Lister (Council)
Anti-corruption focus — filing complaints with Department of Justice (DOJ) and Ethics, exposing the broadband-grant manipulation and the contracted-judge arrangement, and wanting enterprise and gaming financials made public.

Myron Lizer (President)
Calls for full transparency and accountability from 638 boards and acknowledged his own administration's shortcomings, but did not lay out a structural transparency program.

Andy Nez (Council)
Defunded the Office of Government Development over non-execution, pressed 638 oversight, and argued for a sitting president appearing before council to answer for division directors.

Titus J. Nez (Council)
Pushes appropriation "strings," loophole-closing, a Title 12 revamp, and segregation of duties to rebuild public trust.

Debbie Nez-Manuel (President)
Says she was forced out for refusing to go along with financial mismanagement, organized a lawful recall, reported budgets to oversight, and would build anonymous employee-reporting with real follow-up.

Larry Noble (President)
On the disputed $24M, holds council, administration, judicial, and purchasing all responsible

Laurelle Sheppard (Council)
Career-long accountability orientation — 'follow the money,' compliance-department proposals, and holding appointed directors accountable — though general on mechanisms.

Demetria Simms (Council)
Forceful on accountability — demanding an investigation and audit of the disputed $24 million and citing no-confidence resolutions against the NNVA director.

Germaine Simonson (Council)
Transparent in explaining budget mechanics; on the $24M vendor, said the contract award and fund transfer sat with the executive branch, and that delegates could have monitored the work quarterly.

Arvin Trujillo (President)
Ties trust to delivering results and to holding enterprises accountable for repaying loans and contributing profits; criticized the Council compelling the president to appear as micromanagement rather than genuine accountability.

LaVonne Tsosie (Council)
Her core platform — restoring integrity and transparency, demanding criminal accountability on the $24M ZenniHome matter, and proposing special sessions, a special prosecutor, and impact-analysis statements, while refusing to waive legislation.

Cornelia Carm Wagoner (Council)
Calls out 638 billing-oversight concerns and the ZenniHome matter and points at process failures across the system: line-item-veto misuse, missing 638 oversight, and the $24M contract award she calls favoritism.

Christopher D. White (Council)
Values-driven (credentialed boards, oversight) and flagged the vanished post-office funds, but his accountability approach reduces to 'get the right people in' and 'see the facts' without mechanisms.

Kimberlee Williams (Council)
Maintains her platform on Facebook and her website, regular meetings, transparent budgets and punctuality, answering the oversight questions from finance-committee experience — revenue reports and days-cash-on-hand monitoring.

Curtis Yanito (Council)
Described himself as transparent (emailed reports, call-ins); on accountability for the disputed $24 million, he did not lay out specific measures.

Eula Yazzie (Council)
Made accountability her top platform and proposed performance management and quarterly evaluations drawn from her Housing Authority work.

Marcella Yazzie (Council)
Pushed for an accountability law making sign-off officials answerable for missing funds and for regular reporting.

Dr. Christine J. Benally (President)
Her core diagnosis: once federal money passes to a board, oversight thins out — “somebody has to answer to those tax dollars.” States have medical boards; on the Nation there are hospital boards and HEHSC, but she supports full answer →

Jerilynn Yazzie (President)
She said resolving the friction comes down to communication, professionalism, and teamwork — describing the Council as a team and pointing to other governments she's seen (through family) that operate quickly and efficiently. full answer →

Lewnell Harrison (Council)
Harrison said elected officials are held to a higher standard under the ethics law, and that embezzlement over $1,000 already triggers automatic forfeiture of office. full answer →

Richelle Montoya (President)
She noted the Vice President was never included in the three-branch-chief conversations, and said that from the legislative side she would push for policies that give the VP a defined role . full answer →

These summaries are the site’s words, linked to source. Spot one that misses something? Tell us →

Summaries in the site’s words — their exact words are on their Q&A pages.

Melinda Arviso-Ciocco (Council)
A coherent if document-dependent vision — government reform, a 'walk across the hallway' healthcare model, growing Diné College and NTU into master’s/graduate-degree institutions, and national-park management transfer for tourism revenue.

Eugene Badonie (Council)
Consistently frames choices around the society wanted in 5, 10, 20 years — privatization, the only-chapter-to-invest $750K with the Arizona State Treasury, and a Kayenta veterans hospital.

Donovan Begay (President)
Begay defined economic development as creating entities that benefit the community and said the Nation lacks a real jobs plan. He argued for building homes with Navajo labor rather than paying for overpriced modular units, recalling the old chapter work programs, and wants Navajo culture and immersion schooling carried through the school system, with children prepared to compete beyond the Nation. full interview →

Jordan Begay (President)
Milestone-driven four-year plan aligned to approved budgets; decentralization of services

Gervana Begay (Council)
Spoke of planning for future generations and investment, and answered the host's billion-dollar fairness hypothetical directly ("Let's be fair. Let's put some with Northern Area").

J. Kaibah Begay (Council)
Clear values and diagnosis; when pressed for specific mechanisms she tends to return to collaboration and law-enforcement rather than detailed plans.

Shaquille Begay (Council)
Repeatedly pressed 20-to-50-year strategic planning and generational wealth, citing the generating-station wind-down as a planning failure.

Greg Bigman (Council)
Sophisticated and systemic — decentralizing authority to chapters under Title 26, an IMCE healthcare model, traditional-plus-modern medicine integration, and shared executive-legislative funding.

Darryl Bitsoi (Council)
Named issues — feral horses, water/drought, recycling, youth retention, local stores — to address them over time.

Andrew Curley (President)
Constitutional development; generational structural reform

Christopher Curley (Council)
Spoke in generational terms — leaving structures for children to build on — anchored in youth empowerment and workforce preparation.

Emily Ellison (President)
A parliamentary / coalition model, a protected civil-service corps, and a multi-tier "land design" for planned communities.

Mikhail Ganadonegro (Council)
Cast himself as generational change with training and certificate programs for chapters and infrastructure 'as dignity,' though the vision stayed largely aspirational.

Zachariah George (Council)
Floated a governorship/fourth-branch model and restoring Navajo as a governance example for Indian Country, placing hope in younger professionals.

Joan Gray (Council)
Linked her vision to education, CTE and trade schools, and giving local businesses room to grow.

Marsha Greyeyes (Council)
Articulated a wealth-building-over-jobs critique, generational-wealth and Maslow's-hierarchy framing, local revenue streams from chapter assets, and forward-looking water-rights protection.

Jamie Henio (Council)
Explicitly future-oriented — a signature sustainability policy, sustainable economic development preserving resources for future generations, and a comprehensive land-use plan.

Vince James (Council)
Floated multi-year budgeting and four-year 638 reauthorization cycles; asked about the host’s idea of supplying Navajo beef to organic markets, he said the Department of Health hasn’t discussed it and pointed to the sovereignty-waiver requirement as the historical obstacle.

Relinda M. John (Council)
Centered her vision on chapter self-governance and certification, though it stayed fairly narrowly chapter-focused.

Johnny Russell Jr. (President)
Decentralize services to the five agencies; self-sufficiency rooted in pre-government self-reliance

Charlie Smith Jr. (Council)
Emphasized food security through farming and livestock to reduce reliance on outside systems, though presented largely as a list.

Andrienne Lister (Council)
Frames broadband as an economic enabler (ISP jobs, telehealth, online education), but her outlook is largely reactive and problem-focused rather than forward-planning.

Myron Lizer (President)
Vision-forward — economic sovereignty, permanent Opportunity Zones to draw outside capital, energy development, and a 'Marshall Plan for Indian Country' framing — though heavily oriented around federal engagement.

Andy Nez (Council)
A developed long-term vision — community 'villages' for seniors/veterans/recovery, urban embassy-like venues in Phoenix and Albuquerque via the land-acquisition fund, recycling stewardship, and a 2% remediation fund for future generations.

Titus J. Nez (Council)
Economic sovereignty, a citizen "fourth branch," a deliberate people-involved government redesign, and generational independence from federal dependency.

Debbie Nez-Manuel (President)
Proposes standing task forces and workforce pipelines, with a platform centered on public safety and social services.

Larry Noble (President)
Proposes a temporary return to the chairmanship and a party system; amend Title 2

Laurelle Sheppard (Council)
A coherent 'meet basic needs first' philosophy (safety, food, access before change) plus foresight on an incoming wave of elder veterans and natural-resource protection for future generations.

Demetria Simms (Council)
Wants to revitalize Shiprock's businesses and safety, but the vision stayed fairly general.

Germaine Simonson (Council)
Reflected on lessons from the coal-revenue years (communities should have demanded benefits and infrastructure), and framed water rights and the youth council as generational investments.

Arvin Trujillo (President)
Laid out a near-term-plus-long-term plan: diversify the energy portfolio, an enterprise-led development model, a Four Corners railroad terminus (now in phase two), workforce development, and reversing out-migration using 2010/2020 census figures.

LaVonne Tsosie (Council)
A legacy-for-grandchildren and restore-Title-26-authority framing, but her vision leans more toward restoration and accountability than expansive forward planning.

Cornelia Carm Wagoner (Council)
More values and problem-identification than developed plans; offers "revisit Navajo Sun" when pressed for solutions.

Christopher D. White (Council)
A coherent foundation-and-respect philosophy plus keeping students and money on the Nation and favoring long-term investment over payouts, .

Kimberlee Williams (Council)
Framed water sovereignty, fiber-optic connectivity and workforce development as multi-generational priorities.

Curtis Yanito (Council)
Floated a public-private-partnership/Section 17 export vision and a surgical-tourism idea, but presented it loosely and at times unrealistically.

Eula Yazzie (Council)
Vision leaned on accomplishments from decades ago, with forward emphasis mainly on Navajo language and performance management.

Marcella Yazzie (Council)
Invoked planning for seven generations, expressed through her chapter’s current project priorities.

Dr. Christine J. Benally (President)
She has engaged the reform process directly: she attended four of the public hearings and submitted comments — including telling the commissioner that a proposed fourth branch is a bad idea, because three branches already point finger full answer →

Jerilynn Yazzie (President)
Yazzie said she deliberately chose not to run on a set platform . She explained that as she visited surrounding chapters, each already had its own agenda and plan, and she did not want to insert her own agenda over theirs. full answer →

Lewnell Harrison (Council)
Harrison said he sat through a government-reform presentation and came away very disappointed, and noted the Office of Government Development has been defunded and revived repeatedly because people question its productivity. full answer →

Richelle Montoya (President)
Montoya described the titles as a “guide” written in a very different era that now needs updating, and said the Nation has effectively run on a temporary government since the Council gained the power to remove a president. full answer →

These summaries are the site’s words, linked to source. Spot one that misses something? Tell us →

Summaries in the site’s words — their exact words are on their Q&A pages.

Donovan Begay (President)
Defined economic development as creating entities that benefit the community; sees no real jobs plan, with casinos the only visible recent job creation; would look into the enterprises’ books and whether new data-center deals compensate the Nation appropriately

Jordan Begay (President)
Proposed online business licensing and card payments; first-hand reform of the mailed paper process

Andrew Curley (President)
Land reform as economic foundation; anti-extractive

Emily Ellison (President)
Microlending, a one-page business license, IRS / CRS-style tracking numbers, and recognition of the untaxed informal economy as a real Navajo market.

Johnny Russell Jr. (President)
Mobilize Diné trades and welders for in-house construction and manufacturing; route graduates into technical employers

Myron Lizer (President)
Economic sovereignty as the core: Opportunity Zones, free-enterprise zones on the Nation, recapturing border-town spending, and on-reservation manufacturing, with a federal-investment emphasis.

Debbie Nez-Manuel (President)
Community-capacity approach: support sole proprietors and small business, develop tourism and hospitality with training, seat ex-officio constituents on oversight boards, and follow NBOA.

Larry Noble (President)
Cut NBOA processing to about six months; criticizes economic-development gatekeepers; opens tribal ranch access

Arvin Trujillo (President)
His most detailed area in the interview: an enterprise-led model letting capable enterprises lead deals while small businesses provide services, plus the business-site-lease/equity problem, NBOA classification and its enforcement through the Business Regulatory Department, and specific figures (NTEC economic impact, royalties, wages).

Dr. Christine J. Benally (Council)
Parcel big construction so local firms can compete; supports 100% Navajo preference and questions who stands behind 51% arrangements (citing ZenniHomes); streamline leasing hurdles; back ranchers, artists, and home-based tech businesses; a regionalized Nation meat-processing capability built policy-first.

Jerilynn Yazzie (President)
She defined economic development as an action — “the investment of your people, infrastructure and innovation” — and said the Division may actually be hindering progress, weighed down by red tape. full answer →

Lewnell Harrison (Council)
Harrison called economic development broken and said it must be far more small-business friendly . full answer →

Richelle Montoya (President)
On the Navajo Business Opportunity Act, Montoya was candid that she didn’t have the specifics in front of her, describing it generally as the business-regulatory source-list and priority process for Navajo business owners. full answer →

Council delegates on the record — summaries in the site’s words, each linked to the answer:

Charlie Smith Jr. (Council)
Business development is Smith's signature issue. Read the answer →

Christopher Curley (Council)
Curley starts with the basics — housing and infrastructure, especially roads — as the foundation for economic stability, and wants the Nation to pool resources to attract funding. Read the answer →

Christopher D. White (Council)
White pointed to the Ganado post office nearly closing and the Navajo Joe's failure as symptoms of a broken procurement process and a Regional Business Development Office about which he asked, “Why are they controlling everything?”; he would let businesses become 501c and r Read the answer →

Cornelia Carm Wagoner (Council)
Wagoner diagnosed how Navajo money flows out to border towns, retelling a story from her father about reversing that one-way flow — Cal called it a profound economic point. Read the answer →

Curtis Yanito (Council)
Yanito agreed the NBOA and the Division of Economic Development aren't working, and said certified chapters are being stripped of resources. Read the answer →

Darryl Bitsoi (Council)
Bitsoi described economic development as becoming self-sustaining, big or small. Read the answer →

Eugene Badonie (Council)
He criticizes the management of the Nation's ranches — citing the Flagstaff and Espil ranches — saying money was put in unwisely and the Nation did a poor job, and he wants better accountability. Read the answer →

Germaine Simonson (Council)
Simonson said she is familiar with the Act but did not detail specific changes. She closed by urging voters to notice how often candidates promise to “work together,” and to weigh whether they will actually deliver it. Read the answer →

Greg Bigman (Council)
Bigman supports Section 17 federal corporations when properly structured — the danger is loading the board with government actors, which makes enterprises political instead of business-like. Read the answer →

Jamie Henio (Council)
Henio framed each enterprise as a business to be judged on whether it is a surplus or a deficit, and applied a SWOT lens — strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats — to evaluate them. Read the answer →

Joan Gray (Council)
Gray said the NBOA’s flaw is that it never gives local entrepreneurs the chance to gain experience and grow — she would use Navajo crews in a “domino effect” (foundations, framing, electrical, roofing) and tie it to CTE and trade-school edu Read the answer →

Kimberlee Williams (Council)
Williams framed Navajo jobs, support for Navajo-owned businesses, workforce training, youth internships, and transparency on gaming revenue (directed to infrastructure) as the catalysts; she stressed the lack of opportunities for Navajo stu Read the answer →

LaVonne Tsosie (Council)
Her core issues are housing, the lack of jobs, and stalled economic development for relocatees, along with long-delayed infrastructure like the N403 road from Sanders to Allentown that communities have raised for decades without action. Read the answer →

Marcella Yazzie (Council)
Yazzie, a business owner and artist herself, said local businesses need support to get on their feet, providers need higher pay to stay on the reservation, and entrepreneurs need grants and training (FYEP, PEP); on the NBOA she said she can Read the answer →

Marsha Greyeyes (Council)
From her Change Labs work, Greyeyes said the core gap is that tribal businesses aren't supported to become financially literate, and that communities should draw revenue from their own assets — trust land included, which she insists is stil Read the answer →

Melinda Arviso-Ciocco (Council)
She'd request a full assessment of how the Nation's ranches are performing (operational costs, metrics) and pursue legislation making it mandatory that the enterprises — Navajo Nation-owned operations like Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (N Read the answer →

Mikhail Ganadonegro (Council)
He pushed back on the “third-world country” framing, pointing to existing phone and Wi-Fi service, and named aging chapters and condemned senior centers as priorities. Read the answer →

Relinda M. John (Council)
John defined economic development as chapters self-governing so communities can make their own money and climb out of poverty. Read the answer →

Shaquille Begay (Council)
Begay argued the Nation only addresses the next three to four years and must instead plan strategically for the next 10, 20, 30, even 50 years — running a profitability and return assessment on legislation and purchases (how much is spent, Read the answer →

Titus J. Nez (Council)
Nez centers his platform on “economic sovereignty” and a Navajo-first approach: keeping Navajo money circulating in Navajo communities, expanding the Navajo Business Opportunity Act so tribal enterprises stop competing with private Navajo b Read the answer →

Vince James (Council)
James framed it as small but real improvements — a C-store might employ only ten people, some commuting half an hour, but it is still progress for a community. Read the answer →

Zachariah George (Council)
George framed economic development as Navajo-built rather than importing big-box stores, and praised Navajo creativity and small-business owners as the “backbone.” Asked directly about the NBOA, he candidly said he didn't know it yet and wo Read the answer →

Gervana Begay (Council)
Begay's top focus is farmers — she lives among the Shiprock-area farming communities along the San Juan River, from Upper Fruitland to Aneth, and has spent two years on a project around how farmers use their crops and irrigation. Read the answer →

These summaries are the site’s words, linked to source. Spot one that misses something? Tell us →

Summaries in the site’s words — their exact words are on their Q&A pages.

Donovan Begay (President)
Says invisible conditions get missed and medical personnel grow complacent; cited a recent billing investigation involving a doctor as a test for the judicial system; did not address the 638/IHS distinction

Jordan Begay (President)
Names the sober-living gap, chronic disease, and MMIP; framed as diagnosis; 638 specifics not covered

Andrew Curley (President)
No 638 specifics; IHS reform not addressed

Emily Ellison (President)
Frames universal coverage as a treaty right pursued through affordable insurance with the tribe carrying the bulk; notes IHS referral limits; supports the 638 concept with caveats.

Johnny Russell Jr. (President)
Not addressed in interview

Myron Lizer (President)
Supports 638 for its flexibility while leveraging an increased IHS budget and federal partners, and flags the Gallup Indian Medical Center's urgent needs, but the discussion stayed fairly surface-level.

Debbie Nez-Manuel (President)
Drawing on her social-work background, supports sustaining IHS while expanding 638 and third-party billing, building specialist workforce, and a prevention/behavioral-health emphasis grounded in direct family-services experience.

Larry Noble (President)
Said he supports 638 as it is, but would advise facilities to continue services without converting and would ask the federal government to study troubled 638s; supported the host's suggestion of a surgeon general and health-board oversight; backed nationwide coverage for Navajos off-Nation and VA-payment integration

Arvin Trujillo (President)
Discussed 638 risks (the 15-year funding cliff, Medicaid dependence) and agreed with the concept “if done correctly” while flagging many strings, but openly stated he is not fully versed in healthcare.

Dr. Christine J. Benally (Council)
A retired IHS epidemiologist: supports 638 with a medical-board-style oversight body (“somebody has to answer to those tax dollars”), would use Council’s 638-contract approval to demand budgets, and gets specific on retention — compound housing isolation, IHS pay-scale gaps, and referral costs (air flights near $20,000) weighed against keeping providers local.

Jerilynn Yazzie (President)
She said she supports the idea in principle — “Yeah, I do. But who’s going to fund that?” — and stressed that both the funding question and the decision itself would go back to the chapters and constituents, not rest on her alone. full answer →

Lewnell Harrison (Council)
Harrison supports 638 as a path toward sovereignty — the Nation running its own schools and healthcare — but insists it must come with regulation and oversight . full answer →

Richelle Montoya (President)
She explained IHS as a federal treaty obligation and 638/self-governance as tribes operating their own facilities (citing Tohajiilee and Kayenta), and insisted, of the United States and that obligation, “We cannot let them off the hook”. full answer →

Council delegates on the record — summaries in the site’s words, each linked to the answer:

Andy Nez (Council)
On HEHSC, Nez supports 638 self-determination — noting 638 facilities like Tséhootsooí Medical Center weathered federal funding cuts far better than Indian Health Service (IHS) — but takes a “short pause” on too much autonomy, which can inv Read the answer →

Christopher Curley (Council)
This is the area Curley speaks to from the most direct experience — he has sat on the Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation board since 2012. Read the answer →

Christopher D. White (Council)
Having worked in both Indian Health Service (IHS) and 638 systems, White backs the 638 concept — noting IHS is slow to hire — but said facilities must be held to CMS surveys and corrected when patient complaints or wrongdoing surface; he'd Read the answer →

Cornelia Carm Wagoner (Council)
Wagoner spent her career in Indian Health Service quality management and served on the Winslow Indian Health Care Center board during a period of billing-oversight concerns. Read the answer →

Curtis Yanito (Council)
Yanito supports 638 but stressed it only works with strong, business-minded operations and people who understand the contracts, grants, and statutes. Read the answer →

Darryl Bitsoi (Council)
Bitsoi supports 638 “if you have the right personnel,” and pointed to accountability and the facility boards. Read the answer →

Eugene Badonie (Council)
Badonie is open to privatizing but warns that continuing under 638 risks the federal government trying to escape its treaty obligations, so the Nation needs trained lawyers to defend them. Read the answer →

Germaine Simonson (Council)
Simonson was candid that, three and a half years in, she has realized HEHSC doesn't have real direct say over 638 or IHS operations — they report to the committee, but IHS positions itself as federal and the relationship is government-to-go Read the answer →

Greg Bigman (Council)
Bigman noted roughly $7 billion in health-care funds flow through Navajo and that care isn't guaranteed off-reservation in the treaty. Read the answer →

Jamie Henio (Council)
Henio supported 638 but stressed it only works when a tribe has true autonomy, a clear scope of work, adequate funding, the capacity to produce annual programmatic, financial, and audit reports, and FTCA liability coverage. Read the answer →

Joan Gray (Council)
From her education and Special Diabetes Program background, Gray supports 638 but argued the federal government should keep oversight — pointing to how the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds were handled and to the federal side’s profess Read the answer →

Kimberlee Williams (Council)
Read the answer →

Laurelle Sheppard (Council)
From her law-enforcement background, Sheppard explains that 638 policing means funding goes to the tribe to manage and police on its own rather than through the federal government — and she's candid about where her expertise on exact requir Read the answer →

LaVonne Tsosie (Council)
Tsosie is candid that she'd need to do her homework on 638 specifics, but she raises real concerns — the local 638 clinic lacks services (she was sent to Fort Defiance for an ultrasound) and should be built up toward a hospital, and the fed Read the answer →

Marcella Yazzie (Council)
Yazzie explained 638 / tribally controlled schools (PL 93-638, self-determination) and charter schools, and said she supports all school types — Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), federal, tribal — wanting strong academics, qualified teacher Read the answer →

Melinda Arviso-Ciocco (Council)
Arviso-Ciocco supports 638 over Indian Health Service (IHS) (which carries more federal limitations) but says the Nation can't yet run a multi-million-dollar facility — the GIMC replacement site isn't even located. Read the answer →

Shaquille Begay (Council)
Begay explained that roughly 70–75% of facility revenue comes from AHCCCS (Arizona Medicaid), per his estimate, with a smaller share from private insurance and other third parties, with a smaller share from third-party billing; he's not opp Read the answer → Round 2: improvements he named — funding advocacy and revenue-cycle discipline, grants tailored to Navajo communities, individualized diabetes care; on oversight, said he was not familiar with CO-50-14 but supports stronger oversight, proposing a revived Navajo Nation Surgeon General and a clinically qualified committee, and revised his earlier HEHSC-as-overseer position. Read the round 2 answers →

Titus J. Nez (Council)
Nez supported 638 across police, schools, and health, citing the Lumbee recognition debate, ; asked about the host’s point that HEHSC receives only one report a year from each 638 facility, he pointed instead to Law & Order Committee oversi Read the answer →

Vince James (Council)
James supports 638 and called it helpful, but flagged that 638 entities report only once a year and said that is a problem — he would push for quarterly or at least semi-annual reporting and tie 638 agreements to four-year council terms so Read the answer →

Zachariah George (Council)
George said he was initially not in support but now backs 638 because health care — especially mental health — is critical, while candidly saying he needs to do more research on it. Read the answer →

These summaries are the site’s words, linked to source. Spot one that misses something? Tell us →

Summaries in the site’s words — their exact words are on their Q&A pages.

Donovan Begay (President)
Criticized the cost of the modular homes the Nation has paid for and argued for building with Navajo labor instead, recalling the old chapter-based work programs

Jordan Begay (President)
Addresses housing within the infrastructure phase (NHA, HUD) and veterans-home needs; limited standalone plan

Andrew Curley (President)
Proposed grazing-permit reform as the primary fix to the housing barrier

Emily Ellison (President)
On the $24M matter would follow the procurement code; cites federal housing funds and the documentation barrier; would replace NHA rules via a new 638; references Salt River and Gallup appreciation models.

Johnny Russell Jr. (President)
Not addressed in interview

Myron Lizer (President)
Detailed proposals on cost-cutting construction via 3D-printed and eco-panel/sweat-equity homes, an on-Nation manufacturing factory (a veterans nonprofit's 25-year lease on a 33,000-sq-ft building), a letter-of-intent for 100 homes, and Jay's Treaty lumber sourcing.

Debbie Nez-Manuel (President)
Touched on the housing gap (aging out with no homes available, veteran housing needs, building her own hogan) but did not lay out a developed housing plan.

Larry Noble (President)
Not addressed in interview

Arvin Trujillo (President)
Not addressed in interview

Dr. Christine J. Benally (President)
“dropped the ball on this. And I’ll just say it.” By the code, she says, the Council is the governing body — it legislates and approves the budget — and this should have been resolved long ago, with subpoenas if needed. full answer →

These summaries are the site’s words, linked to source. Spot one that misses something? Tell us →

Summaries in the site’s words — their exact words are on their Q&A pages.

Donovan Begay (President)
Platform includes help with water and roads; his concrete proposal is cleaning up and improving the fairgrounds to bring in tourism; flagged the risk of uranium transport through the Nation

Jordan Begay (President)
State of emergency to expedite water and sewer; agency water assessments; broadband gaps; IHS and Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) partners

Andrew Curley (President)
Chapter-level infrastructure through governance devolution

Emily Ellison (President)
Touches computer-system upgrades, public facilities, and remote-work connectivity, but offers no detailed roads, water, or broadband plan.

Johnny Russell Jr. (President)
Auto law-enforcement MOUs with state and county; power and water projects in the Northern Agency

Myron Lizer (President)
Advocates infrastructure development and energy build-out and flagged the Gallup medical center, but the topic was thin and partly lost to the interview's technical disruptions.

Debbie Nez-Manuel (President)
Emphasized broadband as foundational and flagged emergency management and rail-derailment safety, with awareness of infrastructure needs but few concrete build-out plans.

Larry Noble (President)
Not addressed in interview

Arvin Trujillo (President)
Cited his record on the 491/550 two-to-four-lane highway expansion, the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project and associated water-rights settlement, and the proposed railroad terminus.

Dr. Christine J. Benally (President)
Her answer starts with lived comparison: in Maryland she chose among four competing utility companies. “Why can’t we have a choice here? Why is it monopolized?” The grids are connected, she notes — and she has worked at a power plant. full answer →

Richelle Montoya (President)
Montoya described her region as “checkerboard” — Navajo Nation, state, county, federal, and private land interwoven — which complicates roads and services. full answer →

Council delegates on the record — summaries in the site’s words, each linked to the answer:

Charlie Smith Jr. (Council)
Among the long-standing issues he wrote down, Smith puts area road conditions first. Read the answer →

Cornelia Carm Wagoner (Council)
Wagoner named roads, water, electricity, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, and aging senior centers as priorities, in general terms rather than specific projects. Read the answer →

Eula Yazzie (Council)
Her second plank is water — she flags several Navajo Nation land purchases where it's unclear who's using the land or whether the Nation receives any funds, and wants a workable, transparent solution for chapters. Read the answer →

Greg Bigman (Council)
Bigman explained Title 2 lays out the executive and legislative functions (the judicial branch sits outside it), and that while the code makes the Council the governing body, in practice the executive controls a large funding base through Read the answer →

LaVonne Tsosie (Council)
Her core issues are housing, the lack of jobs, and stalled economic development for relocatees, along with long-delayed infrastructure like the N403 road from Sanders to Allentown that communities have raised for decades without action. Read the answer →

Andrienne Lister (Council)
Lister cites a $33 million broadband grant the federal government awarded the chapter directly that was then lost, which she raises as a major loss for local development. Read the answer →

These summaries are the site’s words, linked to source. Spot one that misses something? Tell us →

Summaries in the site’s words — their exact words are on their Q&A pages.

Donovan Begay (President)
Speaks from experience as a veteran and single parent of four who could not get answers from Nation veteran programs; would push information and eligibility out through liaisons and unit commanders; named neglect of official responsibility as the underlying problem

Jordan Begay (President)
Recognition plus VA benefit accountability, GI Bill and PTSD aftercare, and veterans-home needs

Andrew Curley (President)
Not addressed in interview

Emily Ellison (President)
Calls for a federal veterans office on Navajo, flags Veterans Trust Fund disagreements, and would define "veteran" by combat vs. non-combat service.

Johnny Russell Jr. (President)
From a veteran family; wants to fix the burdensome VA application process; declines to use veterans as a campaign device

Myron Lizer (President)
Proposes to match the veterans' federal sacrifice, and build veteran housing through the on-Nation manufacturing partnership — noting aging WWII, Korea, and Vietnam veterans are passing away while waiting for homes — while advocating to federal partners.

Debbie Nez-Manuel (President)
Frames veterans' needs as a crisis through a social-worker lens — housing, health, dedicated veteran-service staffing, and attention to veteran women — though the plan stays fairly general.

Larry Noble (President)
Describes himself as a veterans advocate (motorcycle runs, Vietnam-veteran family); would integrate VA healthcare so veterans avoid off-reservation travel; disability-rating concerns

Arvin Trujillo (President)
Argues the Nation should take the lead and press state and federal partners, and locate/fund veteran services on the Nation, though the plan stays fairly general.

Dr. Christine J. Benally (Council)
A veteran who uses the VA herself: identify the primary responsible party, build chapter and agency-council resolutions, and place VA providers inside existing 638 facilities the way Kayenta did while advocating for a VA facility on the Nation.

Jerilynn Yazzie (President)
She said veterans deserve full support and are frustrated, and criticized politicians for glorifying and using them as pawns. full answer →

Lewnell Harrison (Council)
Harrison named veterans and the elderly as his two priorities he will “always support.” He said the core problem is that veterans aren’t getting the assistance they request — too much red tape — and shared that his father, a veteran, waited full answer →

These summaries are the site’s words, linked to source. Spot one that misses something? Tell us →

Summaries in the site’s words — their exact words are on their Q&A pages.

Donovan Begay (President)
Works in the Los Angeles Unified Title VI program; wants Navajo culture and immersion schooling carried through the school system and children prepared to compete beyond the Nation; sees the many school systems as differently funded efforts to lower student–teacher ratios; did not know the 638-school term and said he would find out

Jordan Begay (President)
Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), grant, and state-standard schools; advocates Diné language and culture in curriculum and testing

Andrew Curley (President)
Spoke from his research background; worked at Diné College's policy institute

Emily Ellison (President)
Not addressed in interview — no education-policy question arose.

Johnny Russell Jr. (President)
Not addressed in interview

Myron Lizer (President)
Proposes elevating BIE schools into academies on the Navajo Prep model, especially as the federal Department of Education is wound down — an idea offered more than a detailed plan.

Debbie Nez-Manuel (President)
Proposed an education task force to align BIA, public, grant schools and colleges, secure broadband, connect the workforce program into a living strategic plan, and sustain cultural-immersion learning.

Larry Noble (President)
School-board experience and Impact Aid trips; compares BIE and grant schools to 638; limited platform

Arvin Trujillo (President)
Touched on language-immersion programs and college-based workforce development (Fields program, Navajo Agricultural Products Industry (NAPI)) mainly in service of economic development rather than a standalone education platform.

Dr. Christine J. Benally (President)
She answers with unusual honesty: she is not deeply familiar with the differences among charter, grant, and contract schools — she knows public and BIE schools from her own boarding-school generation, when education was taken out of p full answer →

Jerilynn Yazzie (President)
She said no — students should be free to study on or off the reservation and gain firsthand experience “between two worlds.” She argued the real problem is financial aid not being dispersed on time, citing a roughly 48% scholarship success full answer →

Lewnell Harrison (Council)
Harrison said he does not have a problem with students studying off the reservation or even overseas — he wants to support young people “spreading their wings” and gaining experience — while noting he would look into any imbalance in schola full answer →

Richelle Montoya (President)
Montoya wants to strengthen the Department of Diné Education and would make policy that Navajo language and culture is taught in every school on the Nation — building on the executive order making Navajo the official language — while workin full answer →