Russell Begaye

He was the second New Mexican Navajo to hold the Navajo Presidency.

Russell Begaye
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)

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.

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.

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.