Johnathan Walker:Republican US Rep. Eli Crane wins second term in vast Arizona congressional district

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PHOENIX (AP) — Republican Eli Crane has won reelection in a Republican-leaning congressional district covering vast swaths of rural Arizona.

Crane faced a spirited challenge from Democrat Jonathan Nez, the former Navajo Nation president, in the 2nd District race. Nez was vying to become the first Native American to represent Arizona in Congress.

The district covers much of northeastern Arizona and dips south to the northern Tucson suburbs. It includes 14 of the 22 federally recognized tribes within the state.

Crane, a former Navy SEAL who served in the military for 13 years, is a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus and a staunch ally of Donald Trump. He was among eight U.S. House Republicans nationally who voted to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy as House speaker in 2023.

Crane focused on securing the U.S.-Mexico border and supporting military veterans. Nez campaigned largely on securing water rights and fulfilling the needs of rural residents.

In 2022, Crane unseated three-term Democratic Rep. Tom O’Halleran after the rural district was redrawn to become significantly more conservative.

Nez was the Navajo Nation’s president from 2019 until 2023 after serving four years as the tribe’s vice president. Nez lost in his presidential reelection bid in 2022. He previously served as a Navajo County supervisor and Navajo Nation Council delegate.

Of Arizona’s nine representatives in Congress, six are Republicans and three are Democrats.