Biography

Samantha Stone is a seasoned lobbyist and political strategist with over a decade of experience in policy, advocacy, and legislative affairs. She has a proven track record of securing landmark federal legislation for Tribal nations and specializes in building the bipartisan coalitions necessary to advance complex legislative initiatives from conception to law.

As a lobbyist for the Hualapai Tribe, she cultivated strategic relationships with the Tribe, Congressional delegation, and state entities to advance longstanding water claims. Her most significant achievements include successfully guiding the Hualapai Water Rights Settlement Act of 2022 and the Bill Williams Water Rights Settlement Act of 2014 through Congress. These victories authorized over $300 million in federal funding and 4,000 acre-feet per year of Colorado River water to affirm the Tribe’s water rights and fund critical infrastructure. She also worked to successfully amend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include previously excluded parts of Mohave County and the Hualapai Reservation.

During her tenure as the Northern Arizona and Indigenous Affairs Outreach Coordinator for U.S. Senator Martha McSally, she acted as the primary in-state liaison to six counties and 22 Arizona-based Tribes. In this role during the COVID-19 pandemic, she was instrumental in securing PPE and other critical supplies for Tribal Nations and other rural communities. In addition, she played a key role in securing $8 billion for Tribal Nations in COVID-19 relief, expanding Paycheck Protection Program eligibility to include tribal businesses, and advancing the Great American Outdoors Act through the Congressional process.

Her deep understanding of the legislative process is rooted in both high-level lobbying and grassroots organizing, having built and mobilized community coalitions on issues ranging from sexual assault response to food insecurity. This dual expertise—navigating the halls of Congress while understanding on-the-ground mobilization—forms the foundation of her effective advocacy strategy.

Sam is a graduate of Northern Arizona University where she studied Political Science and Psychology. She has also completed advanced coursework in Legislative Studies through the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown.

Experience

Northern Arizona and Indigenous Affairs Outreach for Senator Martha McSally

Lobbyist for Hualapai Tribe and the Bill Williams Water Rights Settlement Act of 2014 and the Hualapai Water Rights Settlement Act of 2022