Smith, Grass Headed for Run-off Election

Smith                Grass

More than 6,000 Cherokee Nation citizens cast a ballot in the June 3 Cherokee Nation Tribal Council election as the legislative body welcomes back five incumbents and the two newcomers who won their races.

A run-off election is slated for the District 5 and District 9 races. In District 5, which includes portions of Sequoyah and Muskogee Counties, E.O Smith and Uriah Grass are headed for a run-off election on July 22 as neither got a majority vote. The results of the District 5 election were changed after challenge ballots were counted, an election commission spokesman confirmed Monday.

Only eight ballots now separate Grass and a third District 5 candidate, Dink Scott. Scott has until 5 p.m. Wednesday to call for a recount.

According to the Cherokee Nation Election Commission, nearly 68,000 Cherokee Nation citizens are registered to vote. 

The election commission certified the vote count at a special meeting on Monday. Candidates have until 5 p.m. on Wednesday to appeal the results. 

Challenge ballots are not included in the unofficial totals. Unofficial results could change with approval of any challenge ballots. Here are the unofficial results without challenge ballots for this year’s election: 

District 5 – Muskogee and Sequoyah Counties (*Run-off candidates):

E.O. Smith - 264 - 39.40%*

Uriah Grass - 207 - 30.90%*

Dink Scott - 199 – 29.70%

District 2 – Cherokee County:

Joe Byrd - 325 - 55.75% (Winner) 

Freddie Ferrell -139 - 23.84%

Johnny Dewayne Hammer - 79 - 13.55%

Claude Stover - 25 - 4.29%

Leslie Hannah - 15 - 2.57%

District 4 – Muskogee and McIntosh Counties:

Mike Dobbins - 433 - 69.61% (Winner)

Teasie McCrary Jr. - 88 - 14.15%

Linda Sacks - 61 - 9.81%

Sarah Cowett - 40 - 6.43%

District 7 – Adair County:

Frankie Hargis - 537 - 57.01% (Winner)

David Comingdeer -169 - 17.94%

Virginia Holloway - 149 - 15.82%

Clayton Harrington - 87 - 9.24%

District 9 – Delaware and Mayes Counties (*Run-off candidates):

Mike Shambaugh - 306 - 42.86%*

Clifton Hughes - 230 - 32.21%*

Anthony Cochran - 105 - 14.71%

Edward Crawford - 73 - 10.22%

District 10 – Delaware, Mayes and Ottawa Counties:

Harley Buzzard - 397 - 75.91% (Winner)

Brian Hartley - 93 - 17.78%

Sharlyn Van House - 33 - 6.31%

District 11 – Mayes, Craig and Nowata Counties:

Victoria Vazquez – Winner (unopposed)

District 15 – Mayes and Rogers Counties:

Janees Taylor - 390 - 71.96% (Winner)

Michelle Scarborough - 152 - 28.04%

At-Large:

Mary Baker Shaw - 847 - 56.77% (Winner)

Shane Jett - 293 - 19.64%

Linda Leaf Bolin - 169 - 11.33%

Rockne Miller - 57 - 3.82%

Herbert Gootee - 50 - 3.35%

Jay Neugin - 48 - 3.22%

Robin Mayes - 28 - 1.88% 

The run-off election date for District 5 and District 9 will be July 22. Absentee ballot request deadline for the run-off elections is June 19.

Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director

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