2021 Cherokee Nation tribal council elections
2021 Cherokee Nation tribal council elections
The 2021 Cherokee Nation tribal council elections took place on July 5, 2021, and July 24, 2021.[ 1] [ 2] Cherokee Nation 's Tribal Council is made up of seventeen tribal councilors elected from the fifteen districts within the reservation boundaries and two at-large seats.
In 2021, elections were held for districts 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 15, and for one of the at-large seats.[ 3]
The 2021 Cherokee Nation elections were the first Cherokee Nation elections to have their official results posted online, with results posted on election.cherokee.org . Prior to 2021, results would be posted on the window of the election commission building for public viewing. Social distancing and mask wearing were required at polling places as well due to an executive order issued by Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. [ 1]
Retiring candidates
Term limited
Retiring
Results
Nine of the seventeen seats on the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council had elections in 2021. In order to win a seat on the Tribal Council , a candidate must receive 50% plus one vote. If no candidate receives 50%
plus one vote, then a runoff election is held between the two top vote earning candidates.[ 6]
Incumbent tribal councilors Mike Dobbins, E. O. Smith , Mike Shambaugh , and Victoria Vazquez won their seats outright in the general election.[ 7] Meredith Frailey in District 15.[ 5]
Districts 2, 7, 10, and the at-large seat all proceeded to runoff elections.[ 7]
The voter turnout for the June 5th general election was 8,940 out of 55,597, or 16.08%.[ 8]
District 2 Candidate First round Second round Votes % Votes % Candessa Tehee 219 32.21 367 50.48 Bobby Slover 200 29.41 360 49.52 Dusty Fore 112 16.47 Jami Murphy 111 16.32 Claude Stover 31 4.56 Tonya Teaney 6 0.88 Vicki Creel 1 0.15 Total 680 100.00 727 100.00 Valid votes 680 100.00 727 99.73 Invalid/blank votes 0 0.00 2 0.27 Total votes 680 100.00 729 100.00 Source: [ 9] [ 10]
District 4 Candidate Votes % Mike Dobbins 505 86.62 Sarah Cowett 78 13.38 Total 583 100.00 Valid votes 583 100.00 Invalid/blank votes 0 0.00 Total votes 583 100.00 Source: [ 9]
District 5 Candidate Votes % E. O. Smith 586 81.62 RL Bell 98 13.65 Richard W. Tyler 34 4.74 Total 718 100.00 Valid votes 718 100.00 Invalid/blank votes 0 0.00 Total votes 718 100.00 Source: [ 9]
District 7 Candidate First round Second round Votes % Votes % Joshua Sam 497 49.31 638 51.79 David Comingdeer 450 44.64 594 48.21 Gena Kirk 61 6.05 Total 1,008 100.00 1,232 100.00 Valid votes 1,008 100.00 1,232 100.00 Invalid/blank votes 0 0.00 0 0.00 Total votes 1,008 100.00 1,232 100.00 Source: [ 9] [ 10]
District 9 Candidate Votes % Mike Shambaugh 575 59.16 Lawrence Panther 249 25.62 Joyce Nix McCarter 148 15.23 Total 972 100.00 Valid votes 972 99.90 Invalid/blank votes 1 0.10 Total votes 973 100.00 Source: [ 9]
District 10 Candidate First round Second round Votes % Votes % Shaunda Handle-Davis 302 35.87 271 41.37 Melvina Shotpouch 294 34.92 384 58.63 John Ann Masters Thompson 214 25.42 Darrel Hicks 13 1.54 Cody Williams 13 1.54 Dennis Ackley 6 0.71 Total 842 100.00 655 100.00 Valid votes 842 100.00 655 100.00 Invalid/blank votes 0 0.00 0 0.00 Total votes 842 100.00 655 100.00 Source: [ 9] [ 10]
District 11 Candidate Votes % Victoria Vazquez 486 62.95 Mike Purcell 236 30.57 Randy Junior White 49 6.35 Mason Hudson 1 0.13 Total 772 100.00 Valid votes 772 100.00 Invalid/blank votes 0 0.00 Total votes 772 100.00 Source: [ 9]
District 15 Candidate Votes % Danny Callison 484 59.83 Meredith Frailey 325 40.17 Total 809 100.00 Valid votes 809 100.00 Invalid/blank votes 0 0.00 Total votes 809 100.00 Source: [ 9]
At-large district Candidate First round Second round Votes % Votes % Johnny Jack Kidwell 1,012 39.78 1,525 60.30 Kyle Haskins 688 27.04 1,004 39.70 Marilyn Vann 569 22.37 Mary-Charlotte Grayson 150 5.90 Matthew Benjamin Scrapper 75 2.95 Robin Mayes 37 1.45 Shawna Johnson 7 0.28 Wallace Ryan Craig 6 0.24 Total 2,544 100.00 2,529 100.00 Valid votes 2,544 99.57 2,529 99.92 Invalid/blank votes 11 0.43 2 0.08 Total votes 2,555 100.00 2,531 100.00 Source: [ 9] [ 10]
District 2 election fraud
In May 2021, a campaign volunteer for Bobby Slover in District 2, Lisa Dawn Cookson, was arrested and charged with election fraud for filling out and signing absentee ballot request forms without the consent of voters . Over 90 ballots were effected.[ 11] [ 12] election fraud and six counts of false personation. Each count of election fraud or false personation carries a penalty of up to three years per count or a maximum fine of $15,000.[ 12] [ 13]
On July 21, 2021, the Cherokee Nation Attorney General's office charged losing candidate Bobby Slover with "unlawfully and knowingly" accepting a $1,000 donation from the corporation Action Floors LLC. Cherokee Nation election law states that donations may only be made by "individual natural persons".[ 13] [ 14]
Legal challenges
On February 1, 2021, candidate Robin Mayes filed a legal challenge to disqualify Marilyn Vann from the election on the basis she did not meet the Cherokee "by blood" requirement to hold office in the Cherokee Constitution. Mayes argued that freedmen , the descendants of slaves owned by Cherokee citizens, were ineligible from holding office in the Cherokee Nation .[ 15] Cherokee Nation Supreme Court ruled that the "by blood" language in Cherokee law is void and should be removed in line with Cherokee Nation v. Nash . Vann remained on the ballot.[ 16]
On June 14, 2021, candidate Robin Mayes filed a legal challenge to the June 5th election and requested a new election. Mayes argued that the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court's striking of "by blood" requirements for office should "void" the election. The complaint was dismissed by the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court and described as a "frivolous action".[ 17]
On August 3, 2021, the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court rejected petitions for recounts of the run-off elections in districts 2 and 7.[ 18] [ 19]
On August 8, 2021, the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court rejected a complaint alleging voter fraud in District 7 as "frivolous and dismissed with prejudice for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted."[ 20]
References
^ a b Hunter, Chad (May 20, 2021). "Election night results will be online for first time" . Cherokee Phoenix. Retrieved July 30, 2021 . ^ Staff Reports (July 19, 2021). "Cherokee Nation runoff election set for July 24" . Cherokee Phoenix. Retrieved July 30, 2021 . ^ Hunter, Chad (June 4, 2021). "EC preps for Election Day voting" . Cherokee Phoenix. Retrieved July 30, 2021 . ^ a b c d Hunter, Chad (July 30, 2021). "Runoffs decide last 4 Tribal Council seats" . Cherokee Phoenix. Retrieved July 30, 2021 . ^ a b Bark, Lindsey (July 30, 2021). "Callison wins Dist. 15 Tribal Council seat" . Cherokee Phoenix. Retrieved July 30, 2021 . ^ Staff Reports (July 5, 2021). "Click here for Cherokee Nation election results" . Cherokee Phoenix. Retrieved July 30, 2021 . ^ a b Tomlinson, Joe (June 6, 2021). "Cherokee Nation Tribal Council election results: 41-year educator beats former speaker" . NonDoc. Retrieved July 30, 2021 . ^ Hunter, Chad (June 11, 2021). "Ballot order set for Cherokee Nation runoff races" . Cherokee Phoenix. Retrieved July 30, 2021 . ^ a b c d e f g h i "2021 General Election Results" (PDF) . Cherokee Nation Election Commission . Archived from the original (PDF) on December 1, 2021.^ a b c d "2021 Run-Off Election Results" (PDF) . Cherokee Nation Election Commission . Archived from the original (PDF) on October 4, 2021.^ Hunter, Chad (May 6, 2021). "Tribe charges Tahlequah woman with election fraud" . Cherokee Phoenix. Retrieved July 30, 2021 . ^ a b Hunter, Chad (July 16, 2021). "Tahlequah woman pleads not guilty to election crimes" . Cherokee Phoenix. Retrieved July 30, 2021 . ^ a b Hunter, Chad (July 29, 2021). "UPDATE: Dist. 2 Tribal Council candidate charged with accepting illegal contribution" . Cherokee Phoenix. Retrieved July 30, 2021 . ^ Hunter, Chad (August 4, 2021). "Election Commission tosses, fines Slover for campaign contribution" . Cherokee Phoenix. Retrieved August 5, 2021 . ^ Hunter, Chad (February 2, 2021). "Election complaint filed over Freedmen descendant's eligibility" . Cherokee Phoenix. Retrieved July 30, 2021 . ^ Hunter, Chad (March 30, 2021). "Supreme Court says challenged candidates eligible" . Cherokee Phoenix. Retrieved July 30, 2021 . ^ Hunter, Chad (June 29, 2021). "Candidate's appeal for new election denied" . Cherokee Phoenix. Retrieved July 30, 2021 . ^ "Supreme-Court-Order-Recount.pdf" (PDF) . election.cherokee.org . Cherokee Nation. Retrieved August 9, 2021 .^ Tomlinson, Joe (August 10, 2021). "Cherokee Nation election concludes with disqualified candidate, failed legal challenge" . NonDoc. Retrieved August 10, 2021 . ^ Hunter, Chad (August 11, 2021). "High court dismisses Tribal Council Dist. 7 election appeal" . Cherokee Phoenix. Retrieved August 31, 2021 .
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