Politics

Although Native Americans hold a slight majority in the county, San Juan had never had a Native commissioner until 1983, when a consent decree from the U.S. Government forced the county to draw up voting districts for the commission seats (prior to that all the seats were at-large) to give Natives a better chance at being elected.

State Sen. Jamescita Peshlakai and state representatives Myron Tsosie and Arlando Teller all ran unopposed on the Democratic ticket, which usually wins the day in the heavily blue district.

“We do have our relatives here on the Nation who were born and identify as LGBTQ,” Brown said. “Basic human rights are not covered. We see a lot of inequality on the Navajo Nation for our LGBTQ brothers and sisters out there.”