Shanker still well ahead with Navajos despite trailing Kirkpatrick

Howard ShankerAttorney Howard Shanker definitely has support in his bid to face the eventual Republican nominee in CD1. He has been endorsed by all agencies of the Navajo Nation in that district - who he represented along with several other tribes in a lawsuit to protect a sacred site from contamination - and has won the support of Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-7). Shanker further affirmed that position by being tapped to address the Navajo Nation EPA Conference this week as the keynote speaker:

"Before an audience of attendees that included representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency," ran the memo put out by the campaign, "the Navajo Environmental Protection Agency, council members, and a number of concerned citizens, Shanker discussed the issues of radiation contamination, and the importance of protecting sacred sites for future generations. He discussed the importance of the Navajo concept of 'Hozho,' translated as the 'beauty way,' or 'living in harmony and balance with nature.' Shanker praised the Navajo EPA for their emphasis on 'Protecting Mother Earth for future generations' and for their dedication to balancing modern laws and requirements with traditional cultural values. He talked about the importance of teaching the concept of Hozho to the rest of the people of the world to help promote global balance and harmony and respect for the earth.

"Shanker also highlighted the inequities in the federal government’s cleanup of uranium refuse on the Navajo Nation, 'over sixty years after the federal government contracted with private companies to process and mine uranium on the Navajo Nation, the toxic legacy still exists.' He talked about the human tragedy that has taken its toll in the form of increased cancer rates, kidney failure, and Navajo neuropathy in uranium impacted areas of the reservation."

The event is one he fits so perfectly it would be like Grover Norquist addressing the Association of Grovers Against Taxes. Shanker has built his career on defending the rights of Arizona's indigenous tribes and advocating on behalf of environmental issues - sometimes simultaneously - and the convergence of the two encapsulates the basis for his run.

Unfortunately for Shanker, both the women he faces in his drive to secure the nomination, former state legislator Ann Kirkpatrick and former television reporter Mary Kim Titla, outraised him in the first quarter and have more on hand. Kirkpatrick enjoys a 15-1 fundraising advantage over him to date. With Kirkpatrick having the unacknowledged backing of the DCCC, Shanker will need to expand his base beyond his former clients in order to secure a victory against her.