The Cherokee Nation Election Commission certified the June 3 Cherokee Nation Tribal Council election results during a special meeting Monday.
More than 6,000 Cherokee Nation citizens cast a ballot in the Saturday election as the legislative body welcomes back five incumbents and sees two newcomers joining the 17-member Tribal Council.
The addition of a number of challenge ballots folded into the unofficial vote totals from Saturday in the elections still forces a run-off for the District 5 seat that encompasses Sequoyah and part of Muskogee counties, just not for the candidates that were initially announced as the top two voter-getters
A run-off election is slated for the District 5 race between candidates E.O. Smith and Uriah Grass as well as in the District 9 race between candidates Mike Shambaugh and Clifton Hughes. New vote totals reflect challenge ballots counted and accepted by the Election Commission in respective Tribal Council races.
First place finisher E,O. “Junior” Smith received 264 votes for 39.4 percent of the total. Grass, with 207 votes, now stands at 30.9% and Scott, with 199 votes, is in third with 29.7%.
Grass says he expects Dink Scott, who was in front by less than 1/2 of a percentage point after the initial count on Saturday, to file for a recount in the race. Candidates have until 5 p.m. on Wednesday to appeal the results.
Here are the official certified results for this year’s election:
District 2 – Cherokee County:
Joe Byrd - 343 – 56.60% (Winner)
Freddie Ferrell - 140 - 23.10%
Johnny Dewayne Hammer - 80 - 13.20%
Claude Stover - 26 - 4.29%
Leslie Hannah - 17 – 2.81%
District 4 – Muskogee and McIntosh Counties:
Mike Dobbins - 448 – 68.50% (Winner)
Teasie McCrary Jr. - 94 - 14.37%
Linda Sacks - 68 – 10.40%
Sarah Cowett - 44 - 6.73%
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 7 – Adair County:
Frankie Hargis - 544 – 56.55% (Winner)
David Comingdeer - 179 – 18.61%
Virginia Holloway - 149 - 15.49%
Clayton Harrington - 90 - 9.36%
District 9 – Delaware and Mayes Counties (*Run-off candidates):
Mike Shambaugh - 309 - 42.80%*
Clifton Hughes - 232 - 32.13%*
Anthony Cochran - 107 - 14.82%
Edward Crawford - 74 - 10.25%
District 10 – Delaware, Mayes and Ottawa Counties:
Harley Buzzard - 413 – 75.78% (Winner)
Brian Hartley - 96 - 17.61%
Sharlyn Van House - 36 - 6.61%
District 11 – Mayes, Craig and Nowata Counties:
Victoria Vazquez – Winner (unopposed)
District 15 – Mayes and Rogers Counties:
Janees Taylor - 392 - 71.53% (Winner)
Michelle Scarborough - 156 - 28.47%
At-Large:
Mary Baker Shaw - 852 - 56.84% (Winner)
Shane Jett - 293 - 19.55%
Linda Leaf Bolin - 169 - 11.27%
Rockne Miller - 57 - 3.80%
Herbert Gootee - 52 - 3.47%
Jay Neugin - 48 - 3.20%
Robin Mayes - 28 - 1.87%
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. All winning candidates will be sworn into office on Aug. 14.
