Tribal Election Results Are In

By Shelley Marmor

After poll workers counted more than 1,500 votes after the May 9 regular election, the new Tribal Council and Tribal Board representatives were determined. Tribal citizens on all reservations cast a total of 782 votes for the Board representatives and 801 votes for the Council representatives.

Hollywood Council incumbent Max B. Osceola Jr. narrowly defeated Elton Carl Baxley. Osceola received 126 votes, or 45.1 percent and Baxley received 123 votes, or 44.1 percent. Additional Hollywood Tribal Council candidates Michael Billie received 6.8 percent of the vote and candidate Richard Osceola received 3.9 percent.

Incumbent from the Hollywood Board David DeHass was defeated by Gloria Wilson. Wilson received 22.9 percent of the total votes while DeHass received 17.9 percent. Additional Hollywood Board candidates Marcellus Osceola Jr. received 18.2 percent, Virginia Osceola received 15.4 percent, Vincent Micco received 12.1 percent, , and Gordon O. Wareham and Mark Billie each received 6.8 percent.

Big Cypress Tribal Council incumbent David Cypress won in a landslide victory. Cypress received 155 of the total 299 votes cast for the Big Cypress Tribal Council representative, or 51.9 percent. Additional candidates received the following number of votes: Manuel “Mondo” Tiger, 77 votes, 25.8 percent; Cicero Osceola, 30 votes, 10 percent; Mary Jene Koenes, 27 votes, 9 percent; and Samuel Tommie, 10 votes, 3.3 percent.

Paul Bowers Sr. will also remain as the Big Cypress Board representative for another term. Bowers received 37.8 percent of the total 296 votes cast. Jeannette Cypress received 27 percent, Clifton L. Billie received 20.3 percent, Leslie Garcia Billie received 9.8 percent, Raleigh Osceola received 3.7 percent and Michael L. Onco Jr. received 1.4 percent.

The Brighton reservation will have a new Council representative this term. Andrew Bowers Jr. ousted incumbent Roger Smith by only five votes. Bowers received 88 votes, or 39.5 percent; Bowers received 83 votes, or 37.2 percent and candidate John Wayne Huff Sr. received 52 votes, or 23.3 percent.

Brighton Board incumbent Johnny Jones Sr. ran unopposed. Brighton residents cast a total of 206 votes for the Board representative.