TAHLEQUAH - Chuck Hoskin, Jr. and Bryan Warner will officially lead the Cherokee Nation after the unofficial results of Saturday’s tribal election show them winning in a landslide. Hoskin, a Vinita native has previously served as tribal Secretary of State, and has been a longtime ally of current Chief Bill John Baker.
The unofficial results show Hoskin with 7,819 ballots or 57.93 percent of the vote. Dick Lay received 3,691 votes, or 27.34 percent.
“I think the campaign went well,” Hoskin told the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper on Saturday. “It was a campaign that took all of my energy and all of (deputy chief candidate) Bryan Warner’s energy. I think the end results speak for themselves. I wouldn’t be here without my family, friends, colleagues that I served with while secretary of state, and folks who wanted to see this progress continue and were attracted to the message Councilor Warner and I were offering.”
Current District 6 Tribal Councilor Bryan Warner was elected as the Deputy Chief of the Cherokee Nation, having defeated Meredith Frailey with a vote count of 7,940-5,457. This did not include 406 challenged ballots. A former Sallisaw City Councilman, Warner is immediate past president of the Sallisaw Lions Club. He also serves on the Sallisaw Youth and Recreation Commission and Board of Directors for the Sallisaw Youth League. Warner recently vacated his board position on the Sallisaw Chamber of Commerce where he served as chair of the Education Committee.
“I’m ready to serve with Chuck as chief,” Warner told the Phoenix. “We complement each other very well. It’s been a long race, but anything we do for the Cherokee Nation is always worth the effort. I look forward to the future of everyone coming together and working together.”
Legg wins Sequoyah County Tribal Council seat
Daryl Legg will be the new District 6 Tribal Councilor representing Sequoyah County in the Cherokee Nation. Unofficial results determined Legg received 772 votes, Gary Trad Lattimore received 448 votes and Ron Goff received 132 votes overall.
“When our citizens call a tribal council member its usually because they are in dire need of services. My experience with the (Cherokee Nation) gives me an advantage because I have learned how to fill certain gaps between programs to get the services delivered.” Legg said in a recent campaign questionnaire.
Legg has been the director of the Cherokee Nation’s vocational programs, and has led a program called “Coming Home”, which helps prisoners get back on their feet following incarceration. He was honored in 2014 by the White House for his work with the program, and his personal story which included rebounding from criminal charges of his own in the past.