PRESS RELEASE
Jonathan Nez Named to “Red To Blue” Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: 2/23/2026
Jonathan Nez Named to “Red To Blue” Program
Arizona’s Second Congressional District Poised to Flip in 2026
FLAGSTAFF, AZ — Jonathan Nez, candidate for Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District and the former President of the Navajo Nation, issued the following statement after being named in the first wave of candidates on the DCCCs’ Red to Blue Program solidifying Arizona’s 2nd District as a competitive and winnable race in 2026:
Statement from Jonathan Nez, Candidate for Congress, AZ-02:
“Today the DCCC named my campaign to their Red to Blue program – showing the power and strength of our grassroots campaign in Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District.
As I travel through this beautiful district, one thing has become clear: the hard working people of rural Arizona can no longer afford the policies of Congressman Eli “High Costs” Crane.
He has supported the disastrous tariffs hurting small businesses, passed legislation that raised healthcare costs and threatens rural hospitals, and supported billionaires on the backs of Arizonans.
Voters in this district know that is wrong and it's past time for leaders to Warrior Up and start fighting and delivering for their constituents - not blindly supporting their party.
This November, we are going to make history and elect a Native American sheepherder, raised on a ranch with no running water, to Congress and send Congressman Crane back to his gated community, a Congressional district over in Oro Valley.”
About Jonathan Nez: Former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, the 2024 Democratic nominee for Congress in AZ-02, grew up in rural Arizona, helping his family run a ranch without running water or electricity. Nez began his career in public service in his community of Shonto on the Navajo Nation, serving in a number of positions before being elected President of the Navajo Nation in 2018. He is running for Congress to lower costs for families, deliver water security to all Arizonans, and give rural Arizonans a voice in Congress. He lives in Flagstaff with his wife, Phefelia, and their two boys.