April 8, 2010

     CHILOQUIN — Ballots will be taken until April 21 in the Klamath Tribes election for tribal council, including chairman, vice chairman, secretary, treasurer and six at-large seats, plus a chief judge.

   Elections are ever y three years. The election has generated higher than usual interest because some Klamaths attempted to recall the current council and officers.

   The list of candidates includes most incumbents and a large number of challengers, including   tribal members who say they should be in office following a series of disputed recalls at general council meetings last November and February.

   At those meetings, tribal members unhappy with the current tribal council said they recalled the group and elected a new board. The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs has denied the claim.

   Ballots were mailed March 19. Officials from the Election Service Company, the firm that will tabulate the results, will collect the returned ballots April 22.  

   Candidates

   Chairman

   Chairman candidates include incumbent Joe Kirk, former chairman Allen Foreman and Gary Frost, who claimed he was elected following the recall.  

   Vice chairman

   Vice chairman candidates include incumbent Joe Hobbs and challengers Don Gentry, Steve Weiser and Rachel Witcraft-Chavez. Candidates for secretary include incumbent Torina Case, Melva Cook-Fye, Cecelia Craig, Eileen Joe and Lahoma Schonchin. Treasurer candidates include incumbent Brandi Decker and Jenny Parrish.

   Council members

   Five of the six incumbent at-large members are seeking re-election: Jeff Mitchell, Janice Miller, Jeannie McNair and Perry Chocktoot Jr. The sixth, Foreman, is running for tribal chairman.  

   At-large candidates are Joe Allen Sr., Richard D. Blunck Jr., Clay Chocktoot, Just Cole, Coleen Crume, Eleanor Pinky Delaney, Sandra Hamilton, Gail Hatcher, Shawn Jackson, Twila Joe Ahnefeld, Charles K imbol Sr., Harley Duke Kimbol, Nick D. Kimbol Sr., Ellsworth Lang Jr., Albert Lawvor Sr., Wayne Leone, Eldon Miller, Karen Miller (Beal) Ray, Darcy Miller Ibarra, Margaret “Marni” Morrow, Leonard “Fritz” Norris Jr., Brad Parrish, Diane Poitras Walker, Anna Ridenour Bennett, Frank Summers, Brandon Tupper, Albert Wilder Jr., Kimberly Woods and GeorGene Wright-Nelson.

   Chief judge

   Candidates for chief judge are Deborah Dubray, Leroy Greaves and James Hill.  

   Based on the 2009 annual report, tribal membership as of Dec. 31, 2009, was 3,683, with an estimated 3,077 adults 18 and older.