An official candidate list and voting location information for the 2019 Cherokee Nation general election is now available on the Cherokee Nation website.
A total of 34 candidates filed to run and 32 of them will participate in the election, as two were eliminated after their eligibility status was challenged. The challenge for each candidate was recognized as legitimate by both the Cherokee Nation Election Commission and Supreme Court. The two candidates who were eliminated were Rhonda Brown-Fleming, who filed to run for principal chief, and Buel Anglin, who sought to represent District 13 on the Tribal Council, according to the Cherokee Nation Election Commission.
Tribal Council candidates
District 1
• Ryan Sierra
• Rex Jordan
District 3
• R.J. Robbins
• Debra Proctor
• Jim Cosby
• Brandon Girty
• Billy Flint
• Larry Dean Pritchett
• Wes Nofire
District 6
• Ron Goff
• Gary Trad Lattimore
• Daryl Legg
District 8
• Ralph F. Keen II
• Jodie Fishinghawk
• Shawn Crittenden
District 12
• Don Scott
• Phyllis Lay
• Dora L. Smith Patzkowski
• Todd M. Branstetter
District 13
• Joe Deere
District 14
• Cara Cowan Watts
• Keith Austin
At-Large
• Steve Adair
• Johnny Jack Kidwell
• Julia Coates
• Wanda Hatfield
• Pamela Fox
Polling locations
District 1
• Sequoyah High School Cafeteria, 17091 S. Muskogee Ave., Tahlequah, Okla.
• Hulbert School Community Building, 316 Rider Lane, Hulbert, Okla.
• Okay Sr. Citizens Center, 3701 E. 75th St. N., Okay, Okla.
District 2
• Sequoyah High School, 17091 S. Muskogee Ave., Tahlequah, Okla.
• Lowrey Volunteer Fire Department, 9775 Hwy. 82-A, Tahlequah, Okla.
• Tri-Community (WEB) Association, 17896 S. 580 Road, Tahlequah, Okla.
District 3
• Sequoyah High School, 17091 S. Muskogee Ave., Tahlequah, Okla.
• Keys Community Building, 19083 E. 840 Road, Park Hill, Okla.
District 4
• Fort Gibson Community Building, 200 E. Poplar St., Fort Gibson, Okla.
• Warner School Event Center, 1012 5th Ave., Warner, Okla.
• Three Rivers Health Center, 1001 S. 41st St. E., Muskogee, Okla.
District 5
• Redbird Health Center, 301 S. J.T. Stites St., Sallisaw, Okla.
• Vian High School (B.J. Traw Gym), 301 W. Hunter St., Vian, Okla.
• Gore Police and Fire Department, 108 N. Main St., Gore, Okla.
District 6
• Sallisaw United Methodist Church, 2100 E. McGeehee Drive, Sallisaw, Okla.
• Nicut/Belfonte Community Center, 474894 State Highway 101, Muldrow, Okla.
• Marble City Town Hall, 118 Main St., Marble City, Okla.
• Muldrow High School, 700 W. Shawntel Smith Blvd., Muldrow, Okla.
District 7
• Wilma P. Mankiller Clinic, Highway 51 E., Stilwell, Okla.
• Westville School Cafeteria, 500 W. Chincapin St., Westville, Okla.
• Lyons Switch Community Association, 463101 E. 914 Road, Bunch, Okla.
• NOAC Chewey Community Building, 64741 S. 4645 Road, Watts, Okla.
District 8
• Bell Elementary School, N. 5th St., Stilwell, Okla.
• Wilma P. Mankiller Clinic, Highway 51 E., Stilwell, Okla.
• Westville High School, 500 W. Chincapin St., Westville, Okla.
District 9
• Sam Hider Health Center, 859 E. Melton Drive, Jay, Okla.
• Kansas High School, 700 N. Woods Ave., Kansas, Okla.
• Kenwood School Cafeteria, 48625 S. 502 Road, Salina, Okla.
• AMO Health Center, 900 Owen Walters Blvd., Salina, Okla.
District 10
• AMO Health Center, 900 Owen Walters Blvd., Salina, Okla.
• Sam Hider Health Center, 859 E. Melton Drive, Jay, Okla.
• Afton City Hall, 201 S. 1st St., Afton, Okla.
• Spavinaw City Hall, 103 Lake St., Spavinaw, Okla.
• Graham Banquet Hall, 6 N. Adair St., Pryor, Okla.
District 11
• Cherokee Community Building, 215 Oklahoma St., South Coffeyville, Okla.
• Cherokee Nation Vinita Health Center, 27371 S. 4410 Road, Vinita, Okla.
• Welch Gateway Assembly of God Church, 410 W. 10th St., Welch, Okla.
District 12
• NO-WE-TA Community Center, 1020 Lenape Drive, Nowata, Okla.
• HACN Keeler Heights, 1003 S. Virginia Ave., Bartlesville, Okla.
• VFW Post 7977 Skiatook, 13319 S. Virginia Ave., Skiatook, Okla.
District 13
• American Legion Post 1, 1120 E. 8th St., Tulsa, Okla.
• HACN Catoosa, 310 Chief Stand Waite Drive, Catoosa, Okla.
• Collinsville Veterans Building, 903 W. Main St., Collinsville, Okla.
District 14
• HACN Claremore, 23205 OK-66, Claremore, Okla.
• Chelsea Boys and Girls Club, 119 Ash St., Chelsea, Okla.
• Oologah Assembly of God Church, 13462 US-169, Oologah, Okla.
District 15
• HACN Claremore, 23205 OK-66, Claremore, Okla.
• AMO Health Center, 900 Owen Walters Blvd., Salina, Okla.
• Cherokee Elder Rainbow House, 117 Harold Andrews Blvd., Locust Grove, Okla.
• Graham Banquet Hall, 6 N. Adair St., Pryor, Okla.
The general election will take place on June 1 and a runoff election is scheduled for July 27, where voters will select from the remaining two candidates in each race. There will also be early walk-in and absentee voting on May 25 and May 28-30. For those who are eligible, the deadline to register to vote is this Friday, March 29.
Elections taking place include for the offices of principal chief and deputy principal chief, and there are open seats on the Tribal Council in Districts 1, 3, 6, 8, 12, 13, 14, and one at-large seat is also open. The candidates running for principal chief include Chuck Hoskin Jr., Dick Lay and David Walkingstick, and those running for deputy principal chief include Bryan Warner and Meredith Frailey. The principal chief and deputy principal chief serve a similar function to that of the president and vice president, respectively, and candidates -- like Hoskin Jr. and Warner -- can run together, but they must each be elected separately.
The election commission is unable to distribute voter registration information to non-citizens, but the election is significant for some in Siloam Springs, said Logan Lewis, the press secretary for Hoskin Jr. and Warner. Lewis said that in total, there are 190 registered Cherokee voters in Siloam Springs and 489 in Benton County.
Shown in the following boxes are the candidates running for the various open seats on the Tribal Council, as well as voting locations that will be open for residents of each of the 15 districts. For more information about the election, visit cherokee.org, or call the Cherokee Nation Election Commission at 918-458-5899 or send an email to [email protected].
General News on 03/27/2019