Vice President of the Navajo Nation
Position in the Navajo Nation government
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The office of vice president of the Navajo Nation was created in 1991 following restructuring of the Navajo Nation government. The president and vice president are elected every four years. The Navajo Nation vice president shall serve no more than two terms.[1]
ResidenceWindow Rock, AZ
Termlength
- Four years, renewable once
Constituting instrument
Navajo Nation Code & Treaty of 1868InauguralholderMarshall Plummer
| Vice-President of the Navajo Nation | |
|---|---|
 Great Seal of the Navajo Nation | |
since January 10, 2023 | |
| Residence | Window Rock, AZ |
| Term length |
|
Constituting instrument | Navajo Nation Code & Treaty of 1868 |
| Inaugural holder | Marshall Plummer |
| Formation | January 15, 1991 |
| Salary | $45,000.00 USD per year |
| Website | Vice President |
In 2010, Ben Shelly became the first vice president to be elected president of the Navajo Nation.[2]
In 2022, Richelle Montoya was the first woman to be elected into the executive branch of the Navajo Nation.[3]
Officeholders
| No. | Vice President | Took office | Left office | Tenure | Party[a] | Election | President[b] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Marshall Plummer (1948–2010) [4] |
January 15, 1991 | January 10, 1995 | 3 years, 360 days | Unknown | 1990 | Peterson Zah[c] | |
| 2 | |
Thomas Atcitty (1933–2020) [5] |
January 10, 1995 | February 19, 1998[d] | 3 years, 40 days | Democratic | 1994 | Albert Hale | |
| 3 | |
Milton Bluehouse Sr. (1936–2019) [6] |
February 19, 1998 | July 24, 1998[e] | 155 days | Unknown | – | Thomas Atcitty[c] | |
| Vacant | July 24, 1998 | August 1998 | Milton Bluehouse Sr.[f] | ||||||
| 4 |  |
Frank Chee Willeto (1925–2012) [7] |
August 1998[g] | January 12, 1999 | 4–5 months | Unknown | – | ||
| 5 | |
Taylor McKenzie (1931–2007) [8] |
January 12, 1999 | January 14, 2003 | 4 years, 2 days | Unknown | 1998 | Kelsey Begaye[c] | |
| 6 |  |
Frank Dayish (born 1958) |
January 14, 2003 | January 9, 2007 | 3 years, 360 days | Unknown | 2002 | Joe Shirley Jr.[c] | |
| 7 |  |
Ben Shelly (1947–2023) |
January 9, 2007 | January 11, 2011 | 4 years, 2 days | Democratic | 2006 | ||
| 8 |  |
Rex Lee Jim (1962–2026) |
January 11, 2011 | May 12, 2015 | 4 years, 121 days | Unknown | 2010 | Ben Shelly[c] | |
| 9 | .jpg) |
Jonathan Nez (born 1975) |
May 12, 2015 | January 15, 2019 | 3 years, 248 days | Democratic | 2014–15 | Russell Begaye | |
| 10 | .jpg) |
Myron Lizer (born TBA) |
January 15, 2019 | January 10, 2023 | 3 years, 360 days | Republican | 2018 | Jonathan Nez[c] | |
| 11 | |
Richelle Montoya (born TBA) |
January 10, 2023 | Incumbent[h] | 3 years, 244 days | Unknown | 2022 | Buu Nygren[c] | |
Notes
- Presidential elections in the Navajo Nation are nonpartisan. The parties listed here are for informational purposes only.
- Vice presidents belong to the same party as the presidents they served under, unless otherwise noted.
- Represented the Democratic Party.
- Atcitty acceded to the presidency when President Albert Hale resigned to avoid prosecution for 50 felonies and misdemeanors related to theft and bribery.
- Bluehouse acceded to the presidency when President Thomas Atcitty was removed by the Navajo Nation Council for violating ethics codes.
- Political affiliation is unknown.
- The exact date Willeto took office as vice president is unknown.
- Montoya ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Navajo Nation Council. Her tenure as vice president is set to expire on January 12, 2027.
Timeline
