Arizona Rep. Eli Crane reclaims seat in US House, reducing number needed for GOP majority

Republican incumbent Eli Crane will be returning to U.S. Congress to represent Arizona’s second Congressional District after beating out his Democratic opponent Jonathan Nez with 33,173 more votes as of Monday morning.

"Voters have spoken and I respect the choice of the voters," Nez said in a statement.

Crane has represented Gila County for the past two years and has introduced legislation to benefit the county. As a former Navy SEAL, Crane has targeted a lot of his legislation towards helping veterans. One of these is a bill that would transfer federal land to Gila County for the operation of a veterans center in Young, AZ. Crane also introduced the Veterans 2nd Amendment Restoration Act of 2024 and the Safeguarding Veterans 2nd Amendment Rights Act of 2024 - both of which ensures that veterans are able to maintain their rights of owning a firearm.

Additionally, Crane has voted against every “continuing resolution, omnibus bill and persistently pressured leadership to slash funding from weaponized programs and agencies,” according to his website. Crane is also a cosponsor of the TRUST in Congress Act which would ban members of Congress from trading socks.

When it comes to the border, Crane partnered with Democratic California Rep. Lou Correa to introduce the Subterranean Border Defense Act to combat cross-border tunnels used by criminal organizations. This legislation passed out of the House.

Nez has had experience working in leadership positions with the Navajo Nation, being elected Vice President of the Navajo Nation in 2015.

Nez’s priorities were centered around rural Arizona, advocating for ensured voting rights, securing the Southern border, lowering costs for rural Arizonans, addressing the opioid crisis among tribal communities and protecting a woman’s right to abortion.

Crane’s win secures one more seat in the House for Republicans, getting them closer to the number of seats needed to have a majority.