Nez picks businessman as running mate

WINDOW ROCK

Candidate for president Jonathan Nez named business owner Myron Lizer as his vice president pick Tuesday afternoon.

Nez said through a lot of prayer he has decided to choose the owner of Ace Hardware in Window Rock, among other businesses, to be his running mate.

“I think during the election many of the folks that voted wanted a change – they don’t want people who have been in politics before,” said Nez. “The humbling numbers that we received we believe was a mandate for us, the Nez4Prez team, to bring in someone new.”

Lizer was born in Ganado and has lived in Fort Defiance all his life.

His choice changes the common practice of presidential candidates choosing their running mates from the opposite state they’re from. But Lizer’s father is from Coalmine, New Mexico.

Lizer has three children, Dwayne, Kevin, and Hallie. He founded the Window Rock chapter of the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce, provided financial literacy training to entrepreneurs, and is the president of the Navajo Westerners Ace Hardware Stores and Lumber Yards.

Lizer earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Fort Lewis College and once was employed by the Southern Ute Tribe as an accountant for the Southern Ute Growth Fund.

“I got to this point by way of the creator paving the way for me,” said Lizer, who said he, too, was surprised at Nez choosing him as his running mate. “I feel we could change the way we do business as a nation, in the nation, out of the nation, and into the nation. We feel we can bring a lot to the table.”

Lizer is Numunu (Comanche Nation), born for Tó’áhani.

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