Discussions now underway about a presidential debate
Joe Shirley Jr, (center) and Chris Deschene wait to hear the final results from the final 9 chapters. (Times photo - Donovan Quintero)
WINDOW ROCK
Joe Shirley Jr.
With a date finally being set for a special election for tribal president and vice-president, the big question now centers on the possibility of a debate between the candidates.
The campaigns of both Russell Begaye and Joe Shirley Jr. have expressed a willingness to hold a debate depending on what date is chosen and how it fits into their schedules.
Begaye said he was also hoping that a debate could be set up between the two vice-presidential candidates – Jonathan Nez for the Begaye campaign and Dineh Benally for the Shirley campaign.
During the primary, the Navajo times and KTNN joined together to sponsor a debate in each of the five agencies on the reservation.
Russell Begaye at a 2014 Navajo Nation presidential candidates’ forum. (Times file photo – Donovan Quintero.)
Tom Arviso, CEO of the Navajo Times Publishing Company, said the newspaper is willing to sponsor another debate with the candidates.
Because of the short time between now and the election, however, he said that only one debate would probably be possible and he would like to hold it in a venue that was big enough to hold as many people as possible.
He added that he also felt the idea of a vice-presidential was a good one because most Navajo voters don’t know much about either of the vice-presidential candidates.
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