Lovejoy enters race

By Natasha Kaye Johnson
Diné Bureau

Lynda Lovejoy

WINDOW ROCK — Lynda Lovejoy has announced her candidacy as Navajo Nation President and is preparing for a strong campaign.

Lovejoy, who is the current Commissioner of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission and has served in state government for 18 years, said she has put a great deal of serious thought into running.

"I've been contemplating this decision for over a year," said Lovejoy. "I had to really think about it and find the right ingredient to convince me it would be worth the sacrifice."

"I've had many Navajo voters contacting me and asking me to consider running," she said.

"I didn't realize there are so many Navajo voters who are disenchanted in the way that the direction that the government is taking them," said Lovejoy, who is also a former New Mexico State Representative.

This was the ingredient that finally convinced Lovejoy that she should run.

"The nation's government in their policy decision have a direct impact on peoples lives," said Lovejoy.

"When decisions are not favorable to the majority of the people, because they feel they've never been included in these decisions, the people just become so disenchanted," she said.

Lovejoy said she believes this is the situation with the government now.

"We need to re-energize our nation," she said. "We need to bring our nation back."

Lovejoy said that the nation has regressed and has no movement. Part of this, Lovejoy believes, is because the Navajo people are disenchanted with the government.

"The Navajo voters have lost trust, faith, and hope in their government," she said.

Lovejoy said that many Navajo people have lost their patriotic sense of commitment and as a result some have withdrawn their registration because they didn't want to vote as a Navajo voter.

Campaign priorities
With this, there are specific areas that Lovejoy plans on addressing in her campaign, including improving the nation's tribal and national image, creating sustainable fiscal resources to replace lost revenue, and overall nation growth through market development.

"We need to begin planning to bring and attract businesses or some solid economic development activity," said Lovejoy.

Lovejoy stated that the closure of the Navajo generating plant has lost the nation approximately $25 million.

"We're losing revenues that we've depended on for so long," she stated.

With this, she believes that other mineral and natural resources need to be developed.

"Casinos are not our answer," said Lovejoy. "We've got to be looking at more realistic economic activity other than casinos."

Lovejoy said this is where the nation will need to unleash plenty of talent and ingenuity. By doing this, she believes that the Navajo people can begin to control their destiny, and no longer depend on state and federal.

What Lovejoy feels she will be doing, if elected, is serving as a leader who will "push" the people.

"If you look at the government, more monies are flowing outside of our government for contracts and for services other than delivery services," she said. "We're spending more money on things other than providing services to the people."

If elected, Lovejoy plans on turning that around by putting that money into service delivery like social services and health services. Ultimately, she believes, this will help to bring back trust and hope back into peoples lives, and it is going to be a prime area she wants to concentrate on.

"There is more money going to consultants and more tribal money being spent on things that are not necessary," she said.

Another part of this solution, Lovejoy believes, is to close the generation gap between children and elders.

"There is a high number of dysfunctional families (on the Navajo reservation)," said Lovejoy. "We need to strengthen our families and communities."

Lovejoy wants to improve the relationship between the three branches of the Navajo Nation government.

"We must work as partners, side by side," she said.

Lovejoy believes this is one of the most critical challenges, but wants to create a healthy political interaction between the branches. She also wants to improve the tribal and national image.

"Our Navajo Nation government seems to have taken a back seat," she said. "We need to get back into the driver's seat and move forward and back to being a vibrant nation."

"People are the greatest assets," she said.

Lovejoy wants to make people feel included, which she believes is not the case now.

Experience in government
While there have been female presidential candidates in the past who have run in the election, Lovejoy said she is not running just because she is a female.

"I'm not going to run because I'm a female, but because I have a broad base of experience including regional and national experience and I have New Mexico public relations," she said. "I took everything into consideration.

"I must have turned over every pebble before I made my decision."

Lovejoy, is the only Native American female to serve on a statewide regulatory body and represents District 4 as the New Mexico Public Regulation Commissioner, which covers northwest New Mexico.

Lovejoy, who was chosen to be the newly formed commission's chairperson in 1999, and again in for 2001 and 2002, has a lot of campaigning experience.

"I'm a person of action," she said. "I find solutions."

Lovejoy will focus more on her own campaign than her opponents, including that of President Joe Shirley Jr.

Although Lovejoy said that he has tribal resources, staff, and transportation, she is not worried.

"I'm going to start with zero money, but that's not going to deter me," she said.

Lovejoy said she has run against opponents who have had more resources and money, but in the end, she was voted in. With this, Lovejoy is confident that she is a strong candidate.

"I wouldn't have decided on this position if I didn't," she said.

Lovejoy believes that her 18 years of governmental knowledge and political experience will speak for itself during the campaign. As far as a running mate, Lovejoy is not thinking about one just yet.

"It's too early," she said. "My focus is to win the primary."
Lovejoy will officially announce her campaign April 1st at the Crownpoint Chapter House.