A member of the Democratic Party, Benally was first elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2015.
Benally was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico but moved to Arizona in 1957.
She earned her degree from Northern Arizona University and served as a Navajo Nation police officer from 1982 to 1990.
After six years as a prosecutor, Benally became a district court judge for the Navajo Nation.
[1] Benally and her husband, Kent, together have 10 children and 14 grandchildren.