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Russell Begaye
Russell Begaye in 2016.jpg
8th President of the Navajo Nation
In office
May 12, 2015 – January 15, 2019
Vice President Jonathan Nez
Preceded by Ben Shelly
Succeeded by Jonathan Nez
Member of the Navajo Nation Council
In office
January 11, 2011 – January 13, 2015
President Ben Shelly
Vice President Rex Lee Jim
Preceded by Leonard Anthony
Pete Atcitty
Succeeded by Tom Chee
Personal details
Born May 4
Shiprock, New Mexico, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Education University of California, Los Angeles (BA)

Russell Begaye is a Navajo politician who served as the 8th president of Navajo Nation from May 2015 to January 2019. He was the second New Mexican Navajo to hold the Navajo Presidency.

Early life and education

Born in Shiprock, New Mexico, Begaye graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1974 with a degree in political science. In 1977, Begaye received his Master of Divinity degree from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

Career

From 1977 to 2011, Begaye worked for the North American Mission Board. Begaye served on the Navajo Nation Council from 2011 until his election as President of the Navajo Nation on April 4, 2015. Begaye was sworn into office on May 12, 2015 and served until January 8, 2019, when he was succeeded by Vice President Jonathan Nez.

Begaye is currently a candidate for Navajo Nation Council (Shiprock) in the 2022 election. Begaye lost his election to incumbent Eugenia Charles-Newton.

Personal life

Begaye was married to Kyoon Chung Begaye, a dentist in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Due to the absence of Kyoon Chung Begaye in Navajo Nation affairs, the wife of Vice President Jonathan Nez took on the informal duties of First Lady of the Navajo Nation. In 2016, Begaye stated that his seventeen year-long marriage with Kyoon Chung Begaye was over. Begaye is not a native speaker of Navajo.

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