Three women seek to make history in Navajo presidential race
By Holly James
Sun Correspondent
In the 103 years since the formation of the Navajo Tribal Council, a woman has never held the presidency. That century-long precedent could shatter this year as three Diné women enter the race for the Nation’s highest office.
Women already form the backbone of the Navajo Nation’s workforce, consistently holding premier leadership titles—including Executive Director, Controller, Attorney General, Chief Justice, and Police Chief. The Nation further signaled its readiness for female leadership in 2022 by electing its first female Vice President, Richelle Montoya. Yet, despite women serving historically as the keepers of the family, the home, and the livestock, the executive branch remains unconquered.
Out of a crowded field of 16 candidates, three Navajo women—Emily Ellison, Debbie Nez-Manuel, and Crystalyne Curley—have officially secured their spots on the 2026 presidential primary ballot.
The Sun is launching a three-part series profiling these historic contenders. The first candidate highlighted is Emily Ellison.
On May 15, Ellison joined community members at a meet-and-greet organized by the Lupton Chapter House and neighboring chapters. The chapter houses plan to host similar events with other candidates in the near future. The events aim to give voters a front-row seat to the political process, allowing them to engage in direct dialogue, pitch ideas, and demand accountability from all 16 candidates.
Ellison didn’t hold back her assessment of the current political climate at the meet-and-greet.
“I think right now this is the weakest our government has ever been in all three branches,” she said.
This year will be Ellison’s third attempt at President. She previously ran for the position in 2018 and 2022, along with one attempt at a Council Delegate position in 2014. Ellison said her overall platform remains unchanged, saying that the improvement of the Navajo Nation’s human condition is a life-long run.
An alumnus of New Mexico State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Ellison brings unique global and local experience to her platform. She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in China from 2009 to 2012 and has served as the Executive Director of Battered Family Services in Gallup since 2019.
“I grew up in an era when there was so much energy and hope for what our government could become,” Ellison said. “I still carry that hope.”
During the Lupton meeting, Ellison outlined a decisive agenda for her first 100 days in office, focusing on structural overhaul, fiscal discipline, and legal empowerment.
During the May 15 meeting she briefly highlighted the plans she wants to implement within her first 100 days as President.
Ellison intends to lay the groundwork for a sweeping structural shift: transforming critical political appointee roles—including Attorney General and judgeships—into elected positions, ensuring these offices operate free from executive influence. True to this focus on accountability, she pledged that her cabinet will be staffed by qualified professionals rather than political loyalists.
Financial transparency stands at the center of Ellison’s platform. She committed to tightening oversight on unrestricted funds while aggressively pursuing federal funding, grants, and robust financial safeguards to protect the Nation’s resources.
To empower citizens, Ellison aims to overhaul the Navajo Nation Code. Her goal is to transform the code into a clear, current, and easily accessible tool, allowing the Navajo people to understand their government, know the law, and give the Navajo Nation the legal teeth required to strictly enforce its statutes.
Achieving this vision, she noted, requires seamless cooperation across all three branches of government, moving past former political gridlock.
“We can’t let our personal feelings affect the decisions that we make that will affect the entire Nation and that is what is happening,” she said. “There has got to be a balance between the men and the women, and the roles that we will each play in our community.”
The Navajo Nation’s 2026 primary election is scheduled for July 21. The general election will take place Nov. 3.
