Cherokee Nation General Election sees local incumbents re-elected to Council
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Six incumbents were re-elected to the Council of the Cherokee Nation during the tribe's General Election on Saturday.
The incumbents re-elected include Candessa Tehee of District 2, Joshua Sam of District 7, Melvina Shotpouch of District 10, Kendra McGeady of District 11, Danny Callison of District 15, and at-large Councilor Johnny Jack Kidwell. Newcomer Ashley Grant was also elected to District 5.
The Cherokee Nation Election Commission is set to meet on Monday to certify the results of the 2025 General Election, which unofficially show 7,714 votes.
Newly elected and re-elected Tribal Councilors will be sworn in on August 14.
McGeady won the District 11 race with 614 votes, or more than 58%.
'My heart is overflowing with gratitude to all Cherokees in District 11, my family and my dedicated volunteers. I am honored and humbled that you have chosen me to represent you.'
Kendra McGeady, District 11
McGeady was appointed to the Tribal Council almost a year ago.
'Representing District 11 is a special responsibility,' said McGeady. 'Northeast Oklahoma holds a special place in the hearts of the Cherokee Nation. As our Nation expands services to Cherokees throughout District 11, I will continue to work to ensure our communities have access to transportation, education funding, and better access to quality health care, close to home.
Shotpouch received 376 votes for the District 10 race, more than 70%.
'I am so grateful to have been re-elected to serve for another term on the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council,' said Shotpouch. 'Thank you to everyone who supported and believed in me throughout this journey.'
'Your trust and encouragement mean everything, and I will continue to work hard every day on behalf of our citizens. I will never stop being a strong voice for our communities, protecting our sovereignty, and investing in our culture, language, and future.'
Melvina Shotpouch, District 10
'This victory belongs to all of us. Wado for the opportunity to serve – you have my deepest gratitude, and I look forward to working for you. Together we will build a stronger Cherokee Nation,' said Shotpouch.
In Districts 4 and 9 races, no candidate received the required 50% plus one vote, so voters in those districts will select among the top candidates from the General Election results for a runoff to be held July 26.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cherokee Nation General Election sees local incumbents re-elected to Council
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Six incumbents were re-elected to the Council of the Cherokee Nation during the tribe's General Election on Saturday. The incumbents re-elected include Candessa Tehee of District 2, Joshua Sam of District 7, Melvina Shotpouch of District 10, Kendra McGeady of District 11, Danny Callison of District 15, and at-large Councilor Johnny Jack Kidwell. Newcomer Ashley Grant was also elected to District 5. The Cherokee Nation Election Commission is set to meet on Monday to certify the results of the 2025 General Election, which unofficially show 7,714 votes. Newly elected and re-elected Tribal Councilors will be sworn in on August 14. McGeady won the District 11 race with 614 votes, or more than 58%. 'My heart is overflowing with gratitude to all Cherokees in District 11, my family and my dedicated volunteers. I am honored and humbled that you have chosen me to represent you.' Kendra McGeady, District 11 McGeady was appointed to the Tribal Council almost a year ago. 'Representing District 11 is a special responsibility,' said McGeady. 'Northeast Oklahoma holds a special place in the hearts of the Cherokee Nation. As our Nation expands services to Cherokees throughout District 11, I will continue to work to ensure our communities have access to transportation, education funding, and better access to quality health care, close to home. Shotpouch received 376 votes for the District 10 race, more than 70%. 'I am so grateful to have been re-elected to serve for another term on the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council,' said Shotpouch. 'Thank you to everyone who supported and believed in me throughout this journey.' 'Your trust and encouragement mean everything, and I will continue to work hard every day on behalf of our citizens. I will never stop being a strong voice for our communities, protecting our sovereignty, and investing in our culture, language, and future.' Melvina Shotpouch, District 10 'This victory belongs to all of us. Wado for the opportunity to serve – you have my deepest gratitude, and I look forward to working for you. Together we will build a stronger Cherokee Nation,' said Shotpouch. In Districts 4 and 9 races, no candidate received the required 50% plus one vote, so voters in those districts will select among the top candidates from the General Election results for a runoff to be held July 26. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Texas Uses SAVE Data To Catch Noncitizen Voters
(Texas Scorecard) – After gaining access to a federal immigration and citizenship database, state officials have identified potential noncitizens who voted in Texas elections. Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced Thursday that her office has referred 33 potential noncitizens who voted in the November 2024 General Election to the state attorney general's office for investigation. Nelson said the referrals come within weeks of Texas gaining access to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' SAVE database. 'Gaining access to this database has been a game-changer,' said Nelson. 'Not only have we been able to identify individuals who should not have voted in the last election, we have also been able to confirm naturalization of dozens more.' SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) is an online service for government agencies to verify the immigration status and naturalized/acquired U.S. citizenship of applicants seeking benefits or licenses. Nelson said Texas was among the first states to log in after President Donald Trump issued an election integrity executive order in March that directed the Department of Homeland Security to provide free access to the SAVE database to all states. She added that Texas also recently joined a pilot program working with DHS, USCIS, and DOGE to improve the database's functionality. 'We are in the early stages of this pilot program, but we already see promising results. This may be the most current and accurate data set there is when it comes to citizenship verification,' said Nelson. She noted that the Secretary of State is required to report potential criminal violations to the Office of the Attorney General, which has the authority to investigate such cases under Texas election law.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Bloomberg
Netherlands to Hold Vote on Oct. 29 After Government Collapse
The Netherlands will hold a general election on October 29 after far-right leader Geert Wilders pulled his Freedom Party out of the Dutch government earlier this week, after his coalition partners rejected his latest proposals to curb immigration. The date was reported by state news agency ANP.
