Interview Questions & Answers
Jordan Begay
Draft — summaries in our own words, pending editor sign-off.
Dr. Jordan Begay is a physician and former Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Gallup Indian Medical Center, running for Navajo Nation President (position #9 on the ballot). His interview with Cal Nez was vision- and values-forward, centered on a First 100 Days Plan, societal healing, sovereignty, and his health-care background. Below are the main topics from the interview — the key question Cal asked on each, short summaries of Begay's answers in our own words, and follow-ups a voter might still want answered.
Watch or read the full interview, and see the scorecard, on Jordan Begay’s profile. This page is a nonpartisan summary; the Diné Civic Center does not endorse any candidate.
Platform: First 100 Days
Cal askedWhat's your platform?
Begay introduced a “First 100 Days Plan,” published on Facebook and Instagram, as the starting point of a Begay administration, and presented himself as position #9 on the ballot.
Follow-up questions worth asking
- What are the top three actions in the first 100 days?
- How is the plan funded?
Why Leaders Conflict
Cal askedWhat's the real foundation of the conflict between every president and council?
Begay named greed over money as the root — competition over the various funding streams (federal funds, tribal revenues, and declining coal / Salt River Project revenue).
Follow-up questions worth asking
- What structural change reduces that incentive?
- How would your administration model it differently?
Societal Healing
Cal askedWhat about the societal challenges our people face?
Begay framed the Nation's struggles — chronic disease, alcoholism, and substance abuse — as a cycle that must be broken, centering people's wellbeing as “five-fingered beings.”
Follow-up questions worth asking
- What's the first program you'd stand up?
- How do you measure progress on breaking the cycle?
Sovereignty & Self-Determination
Cal askedLimited sovereignty versus inherent sovereignty — your view?
Begay spoke to self-determination and self-reliance as core Navajo identity (“the rainbow that wraps around us”), framing sovereignty as who the Diné are rather than a status granted from outside.
Follow-up questions worth asking
- How does that translate to a specific fight with the federal government?
- Where would you assert inherent sovereignty first?
Federal Advocacy
Cal askedHow does the Navajo government bring its priorities to Washington?
Begay said it takes the President, Council, Executive Directors, Speaker, Chief Justice, and standing committees all advocating together to federal partners to carry Navajo priorities to Washington.
Follow-up questions worth asking
- What's your top Washington priority in year one?
- How do you keep the branches aligned to do it?
Health Care
Cal askedWhat's your feeling on health care?
This is Begay's professional ground — he served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Gallup Indian Medical Center and worked across Eastern Agency, giving him direct hospital-administration experience to draw on.
Follow-up questions worth asking
- Do you support the 638 self-governance model, and where?
- What's your first health-system fix?
Questions that didn’t come up
Topics a voter in this district might still want to hear about:
- The 638 versus IHS question and a position on health-care financing.
- Economic development, the NBOA, and the enterprises.
- Specific infrastructure, housing, and grazing plans.
- A detailed read of the executive-legislative reform (Title II).
What a strong answer sounds like
Not a judgment of this candidate — just what a specific, substantive answer includes, so you can weigh any candidate’s response:
Healthcare: Translate the Gallup IMC experience into a Nation-wide plan and a 638 stance.
Governance Knowledge: State a position on the reform and the temporary government.
Economic Development: Name a concrete revenue or jobs initiative.
Long-Term Vision: Put dates and metrics on the First 100 Days.
This page is a nonpartisan civic-education resource. The Diné Civic Center does not endorse, rank, or recommend any candidate.
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