Navajo Nation elects new president as candidates reject coal
- Navajo Nation voters are casting ballots today for a new president.
- Candidates Justin Jones and Crystalyne Curley both oppose coal mining.
- Outgoing President Buu Nygren was eliminated during the July primary.
- Nygren previously defended coal and aligned with President Trump's energy policies.
- The Navajo Nation has nearly half a million enrolled citizens worldwide.
Navajo Nation voters head to the polls today, November 3, 2026, to choose a new president. The Navajo Nation has nearly half a million enrolled citizens worldwide.
This election cycle is the first in recent memory where no presidential candidate openly supports the coal industry.
Candidates Jones and Curley oppose coal mining
Jones, an attorney and former government liaison for a New Mexico coal mine previously owned by BHP Billiton, said, "I’m opposed to coal mining". He added, "I’m opposed to any form of mining that’s where a shovel will go, blast it and get resources out".
Navajo Nation Council Speaker Curley said, "Coal is dying. It’s not coming back.
Separately, Arizona and the Central Arizona Project have joined Nevada in a lawsuit regarding the Colorado River, a case that could reach the Supreme Court. KJZZ correspondent Gabriel Pietrorazio reports on these tribal natural resources, with support from the Catena Foundation.
Outgoing President Nygren eliminated in primary
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren lost his bid for re-election after voters eliminated him during the July primary. Thirteen other candidates also saw their campaigns end in that election.
Despite this, he aligned with President Donald Trump's energy policies, specifically efforts to reverse the phase-out of coal.
During his state address in January, Nygren defended the industry by stating, "Because those are hundreds and hundreds of jobs".
Nygren pledged to keep the Navajo Mine open. This site remains the last coal mine on the reservation and supplies an Arizona Public Service-owned power plant. That plant could remain operational until 2038.
In other regional news, President Trump signed a bipartisan bill designating the 12,000-acre Chiricahua National Monument in Cochise County as Arizona's fourth national park. Separately, an open call invites Indigenous artists from the United States and Canada to submit portfolios to a juried committee. The committee will select three semifinalists to present concepts before choosing a final artist.
Impact of 2025 Trump photo-op on Nygren
The event occurred during a signing ceremony for an executive order intended to support the coal industry.
University of Arizona assistant professor Andrew Curley, author of "Carbon Sovereignty: Coal, Development, and Energy Transition in the Navajo Nation," said the photo-op negatively impacted Nygren’s re-election prospects.
Voters seek functional energy policy
President Nygren maintains a close alignment regarding the issue of coal mining. It is not clear how this alignment will impact the decisions of Navajo voters in the current election.
Voter Long expressed hope that candidates Justin Jones and Speaker Crystalyne Curley will prioritize a functional energy policy rather than relying on campaign rhetoric regarding coal. Long said, "I really do hope they take it to heart and really consider, we need an energy policy that works for us".
NTEC role in national coal production
The Navajo Transitional Energy Company owns coal deposits in Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming. The company claims to be the third-largest coal producer in the U.S..
The owners of the Native Art Market in Scottsdale have opened a brick-and-mortar location in Santa Fe.
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