Ben Shelly | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 7th President of the Navajo Nation | |
| In office January 11, 2011 – May 12, 2015 | |
| Vice President | Rex Lee Jim |
| Preceded by | Joe Shirley Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Russell Begaye |
| 5th Vice President of the Navajo Nation | |
| In office January 9, 2007 – January 11, 2011 | |
| President | Joe Shirley Jr. |
| Preceded by | Frank Dayish |
| Succeeded by | Rex Lee Jim |
| Member of the Navajo Nation Council | |
| In office January 15, 1991 – January 9, 2007 | |
| Succeeded by | Edmund Yazzie |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 6, 1947 Thoreau, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Died | March 22, 2023 (aged 75) Gallup, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Martha Shelly |
Ben Shelly (July 6, 1947 – March 22, 2023) was the 7th president of the Navajo Nation. He was the first president to have been elected both president and vice president of the Navajo Nation,[1] as well as the first New Mexican Navajo to hold the Navajo presidency.[1]
On November 2, 2010, Shelly was voted in as the Navajo Nation's president-elect during the 2010 Navajo Nation Presidential Elections, defeating opponent New Mexico State Senator Lynda Lovejoy[2] of the Navajo Nation. On August 16, 2014, Shelly lost in the Navajo Nation primaries to former Navajo Nation president Joe Shirley Jr and newcomer Christopher Deschene.
- ^ "Navajo Nation presidential race results as they happen". Navajo Times. 2 November 2010. Archived from the original on 3 November 2010. Retrieved 2 November 2010.