Big turnover in Rocky Boy vote

Following Tuesday's election, changes are coming to the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation Chippewa Cree Business Committee.

In the race for the committee's chair position, to replace outgoing chair Bruce Sunchild Sr., Ken Blatt St. Marks defeated committee member Ted Whitford, 729 to 614.

Sunchild was also running to keep his position, but he did not get enough votes in the primary to compete against St. Marks and Whitford.

St. Marks served on the committee from 1996 to 1998.

The board race was a full and difficult one, as dozens of Chippewa Cree tribal members filed to run against the four incumbents — John Chance Houle, Stacey Small, Joe LaFromboise, and Brian "Kelly" Eagleman. LaFromboise did not make it into the top eight, of 53 people running, to make it onto Tuesday's ballot.

After Tuesday night's election, only one of the four seated committee members was chosen to return to the committee.

Vice Chair John Chance Houle held onto his seat, though with the smallest number of votes among the victors. He received 624 votes, just four more than fellow incumbent Stacey Small, who did not make it.

The other new committee members will be Ted Demontiney, Teddy Russette III and Dustin J. Whitford, none of whom have been on the committee.

Rocky Boy chair

WINNER: Ken Blatt St. Marks 729

Theodore Edward Whitford Sr. 614

Board members

WINNER: Dustin J. Whitford 779

WINNER: Teddy Russette III 753

WINNER: Ted Demontiney 669

WINNER: John Chance Houle 624

Stacey Small 620

Brian "Kelly" Eagleman 602

Joshua "Waff" Seaton 529

Tim Koop 428