CASS LAKE, MN- At a special meeting on Friday, February 9, 2024 the Leech Lake Tribal Council certified candidates for the 2024 Tribal Elections. Following certification, a lottery was held for each race to determine the order in which candidates will appear on the ballot.
In the race for Chairperson, the following candidates were certified to run and will appear on the ballot in the following order:
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Branden Bowstring
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Calvin Howard
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Faron Jackson Sr. (Incumbent)
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Michael Reyes
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Tami Jackson
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Gerald White
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Dawn Litzau-Staples
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Terri Finn-Goggleye
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Walter “Frank” Reese
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Raymond “Skip” Lyons
In the race for District III Representative, the following candidates were certified and will appear on the ballot in the following order:
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Kari Fisherman
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Leon Staples Jr.
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Delmar Jones III
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Jennie Reyes
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John Johnson
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Donald “Mick” Finn
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Herschel Ogema
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Diane Osceola
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Peter “Big Pete” Jackson
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Glen “Tuffy” Fisher
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Kyle Fairbanks Sr.
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Julian Molash
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Thomas Brown
Certified candidates for the offices of Chairperson and District III Representative will appear on the Primary Election ballot on April 2, 2024. In these races, the top two vote getters in each contest will move forward to the General Election in June 2024. Should a candidate receive more than 50% of the vote during the Primary Election, that candidate will be declared the winner and no General Election for that position will be held.
Per the MCT Election Calendar, the LLBO Tribal Council will now submit the Notice of Certifications to the Tribal Executive Committee by February 12, 2024.
Any person who has filed a complete Notice of Candidacy can challenge the decision of the LLRTC by filing the appropriate documentation with the MN Chippewa Tribe. The MCT Tribal Election Court of Appeals will then convene and issue a decision on the certification or non-certification by February 22, 2024. Elected candidates will serve a four-year term beginning in July 2024 and ending in 2028.
Following resolution of any potential challenges and appeals, the MN Chippewa Tribe will issue the official Primary Election Notice on February 23, 2024.
Check back for more election information at http://www.leechlakenews.com on February 23, 2024 when the MCT Primary Election Notice is released.