[env-trinity] 2 Rivers Tribune- Election Results Are in, Commercial Fishing is Out

[Tom Stokely]

Election Results Are in, Commercial Fishing is Out
http://www.tworiverstribune.com/2011/06/election-results-are-in-commercial-fishing-is-out/


Over 880 Hoopa Tribal members voted in the June 21 Hoopa Valley Tribal General Elections. Voters struck down commercial fishing with a record breaking 700 to 162./Photo by Scottie Lee Meyers, Two Rivers Tribune

By SCOTTIE LEE MEYERS, Two Rivers Tribune

Hoopa Valley tribal member Norma McAdams exited the election booth at Tribal Chambers Tuesday afternoon and said the election felt like good versus evil. “We will either go down from here or start building,” she said.

McAdams was one of 885 (54 percent) tribal members who voted in a election that featured races for Tribal Chairman – the tribe’s top spot – and a controversial referendum that asked if commercial fishing should continue on the reservation.The Tribal Chairman race

With his phone ringing all night, Masten didn’t stand a chance to sleep Tuesday evening. At 3:30 am he received a call informing him that he had won. Soon the word got out.

“Then the phone really started to ring,” said Masten. He took a shower, brewed some coffee and started to take down his election signs to get his mind off of things.

“I brought stability to tribal entities and a lot of credibility to the tribal membership,” said Masten after being asked why he won. “And I take a strong stance against drugs. I want the youth to have a choice when they grow up, and one of those isn’t selling drugs.”

Lyle Marshall credited Masten’s ability to create alliances, but said that wasn’t entirely why Masten defeated him.

“They did a good job of vilifying me,” said Marshall. “They did a good job of slinging mud. I don’t buy votes and don’t make promises I can’t keep.”

When hearing Marshall’s allegations, Masten laughed and said, “It’s sick. Especially coming from him, he’s connected to one of the biggest drug dealers in the valley – but I don’t like to go there. He just can’t say he got beat and go away?”

Marshall’s not sure what his political ambitions are at this point. “Two things happen in an election,” said Marshall. “You win them or you lose them. But I offer my support to the people who want it. You don’t have to be the chairman to help out. The tribe’s in trouble and we got to pull together anyway.”Among the three district races,

Montgomery said he found out the election results on Facebook at 4 am. “It was the longest night of the year waiting for the results,” he said.

Crediting the swing votes to his ability to stay open-minded to new ideas, Montgomery said he’s excited to join the Tribal Council. “I’m just humbled to contribute to the leadership of the tribe. I want to make the people proud and turn this tribe around.”

Hayley Hutt defeated Jennifer George-Lane in the open-seated Agency Field district. And incumbent Byron Nelson Jr., Vice Chairman of the Tribe, defeated Michael Hostler in the Hostler/Matilton district.

Joseph Orozco defeat Nena Macias by a wide margin and won a spot on the Elections Board. Orozco said the Elections Board needs to look at strategies for raising voter turnout and to take a closer look at the registration process and absentee ballots.

The Elections Board will make the results official after a 10-day period to allow candidates to contest the results.

the most compelling election results came from Bald Hill where in a display of political irony, Augustine Montgomery defeated incumbent Oscar Billings by 125 votes. During the primary in late April, Billings defeated Montgomery by 124 votes. was the election’s closest and pitted incumbent Leonard Elrod Masten against Lyle Marshall, who served as Chairman from 2001 to 2009.
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