Democrat and former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez interviewed with the Clean Elections Commission on Thursday in what had been slated as a debate for candidates of Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District.
Incumbent Republican Congressman Eli Crane declined to participate.
Nez attempted to appeal to the center and accused Crane of being part of the dysfunction in Washington. He cited the vote to remove former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his post last year.
"Coming to the brink of a government shutdown. And just an extreme group of representatives that are making it very difficult for this Congress to function," Nez said.
If elected, Nez said he would be the first Native American to represent Arizona in Congress.
More election news
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The marijuana holiday 4/20 is on Monday. It falls about 10 weeks before the deadline to submit enough signatures so Arizona voters could decide in November whether to outlaw dispensaries. -
President Donald Trump showered praise on several Arizona candidates he’d already endorsed at a campaign event in Phoenix on Friday and gave shoutouts to several candidates for the first time. -
Rep. David Marshall resigned from the Arizona Legislature on Friday, days after the Navajo County Board of Supervisors appointed him the next county recorder — an appointment that could face legal challenges over claims it violates the state Constitution. -
A Superior Court judge found the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors illegally took away Recorder Justin Heap’s information technology team and must give that staff back in an order that resolves a yearlong battle over control of the county’s elections. -
Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is outraising her Republican opponents several times over ahead of this year’s primary elections. And Congressman David Schweikert is trailing far behind his Democratic and Republican opponents.
