FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 13, 2026
2026 NAHJ National Board Election Results
(Washington, D.C.) – The Election Committee of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) announced today the results of the 2026 National Board Elections, marking a historic year for member participation and the reelection of Dunia Elvir as NAHJ president.
A total of 496 members cast ballots, the second-highest number of voters in a regular national board election since 2012. NAHJ also recorded 3,467 eligible voters, the largest eligible voting membership during that period. Voter turnout reached 14.31%, reflecting increased engagement compared to recent national board elections.
Elvir was reelected with 59.04% of the vote, becoming the first NAHJ president eligible to serve a second consecutive term following changes to the organization’s bylaws approved by members in 2024. Previously, presidents could not seek immediate reelection. Under the updated bylaws, presidents may serve two consecutive two-year terms, for a maximum of four consecutive years.
The full election results are posted below.
The winners in the 2026 NAHJ national board elections are:
Dunia Elvir, President
Samantha Rivera, VP of Broadcast
Vacant, VP of Digital – Vacant positions are to be appointed by the Board of Directors.
Nancy Preyor-Johnson, VP of Print
Carlos Rodriguez, Financial Officer
Arelis Hernandez, Secretary
Genesis Samayoa-Hidalgo, Spanish At-Large Officer
Dr. Pedro (PJ) Cabrera, Academic At-Large Officer
Chris Peña, General At-Large Officer
Vacant, Student Representative – Vacant positions are to be appointed by the Board of Directors.
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Election: 2026 NAHJ National Elections | ||
| President | ||
| Choice | Votes | Percentage |
| Dunia Elvir | 258 | 59.04 |
| Julio-César Chávez | 173 | 39.59 |
| Write-In | 3 | 0.69 |
| VP Print | ||
| Choice | Votes | Percentage |
| Nancy Preyor-Johnson | 370 | 96.35 |
| Write-In | 7 | 1.82 |
| VP Broadcast | ||
| Choice | Votes | Percentage |
| Samantha Rivera | 397 | 99.00 |
| Write-In | 2 | 0.50 |
| VP for Digital | ||
| Choice | Votes | Percentage |
| Vacant | N/A | N/A |
| Write-In | 42 | 50.00 |
| Financial Officer | ||
| Choice | Votes | Percentage |
| Carlos Rodriguez | 381 | 98.96 |
| Write-In | 2 | 0.52 |
| Secretary | ||
| Choice | Votes | Percentage |
| Arelis Hernandez | 230 | 54.63 |
| Jackie Padilla | 189 | 44.89 |
| Write-In | 1 | 0.24 |
| Academic At-Large Officer | ||
| Choice | Votes | Percentage |
| Dr. Pedro (PJ) Cabrera | 396 | 97.54 |
| Write-In | 5 | 1.23 |
| General At-Large Officer | ||
| Choice | Votes | Percentage |
| Chris Peña | 391 | 94.22 |
| Write-In | 12 | 2.89 |
| Spanish Language At-Large | ||
| Choice | Votes | Percentage |
| Genesis Samayoa-Hidalgo | 420 | 99.53 |
| Write-In | 1 | 0.24 |
| Student Representative | ||
| Choice | Votes | Percentage |
| Vacant | N/A | N/A |
| Write-In | 10 | 50.00 |
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About NAHJ
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists is the largest organization of Latino journalists in the United States and is dedicated to the recognition and professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry. The mission of NAHJ is to increase the number of Latinos in the newsrooms and to work toward a fair and accurate representation of Latinos in the news media. Established in April 1984, NAHJ created a national voice and unified vision for all Hispanic journalists. NAHJ has over 4,300 members, including working journalists, journalism students, other media-related professionals, and journalism educators. For more information please visit NAHJ.org or follow us on Twitter @NAHJ.
Media Contact:
National Association of Hispanic Journalists
Martin Alfaro
Communications@nahj.org
772-708-6891