Primary Election Results for Leech Lake and Mille Lacs Bands, White Earth Nation

Unofficial results are in for primary elections for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, and White Earth Nation.

If a candidate in a race has received more than 50% of the vote, that person has won the seat outright. Otherwise, the top two finishers in each race will move on as the candidates in the general election on Jun. 9.

The top vote-getters in the Leech Lake Secretary/Treasurer election are Cindy Jackson Kingbird and Michael Reyes. Incumbent Leonard Fineday resigned on Jan. 2 and is not seeking another term. For District I Committeeperson, it was incumbent Kyle Fairbanks and Jonathan White, and for District II, it was incumbent Steve White winning with more than 50% of the vote.

For the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, incumbent Secretary/Treasurer Sheldon Boyd, Sr. picked up 61.59% of the vote and wins re-election. Raina Killspotted took 57.86% of the vote and wins the District II Representative race, and the top two vote-getters in the District III race were Michelle “Shelly” Pomerleau and Lionel Richey.

White Earth voters also advanced two candidates each in three different races to the general election: Jacob McArthur and incumbent Michael “Mike” LaRoque in the Secretary/Treasurer race, incumbent Henry G. Fox and Andy “Jack” Auginaush in District I, and Alrick “Son” Accobee and Sheri Kay Snetsinger in District II. The incumbent in District II, Eugene Sommers, is not seeking re-election.

Full results for all races are below, with those winning each race or moving on to the general election highlighted in bold.

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe:

Secretary/Treasurer

• Tony “Skin” Hare – 31 votes (1.90%)
• Sally Fineday – 164 votes (10.03%)
• Nicholas Staples – 21 votes (1.28%)
• Jarell Jacobs – 38 votes (2.32%)
• Michael Reyes – 400 votes (24.46%)
• Cecelia “Ogiizhigookwe” Meat – 46 votes (2.81%)
• Rochelle “Shelly” Pemberton – 374 votes (22.87%)
• Cindy Jackson Kingbird – 561 votes (34.31%)

District I Committeeperson

• Jonathan White – 175 votes (41.87%)
• Kyle Fairbanks (incumbent) – 201 votes (48.09%)
• Tami Jackson – 14 votes (3.35%)
• Alex Rivera – 28 votes (6.70%)

District II Committeeperson

• Steve White (incumbent) – 147 votes (56.32%)
• David Chase – 112 votes (42.91%)
• Dante Hanson – 2 votes (0.77%)

Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe:

Secretary/Treasurer

• Suzanne Wise (Aazhinangookwe) – 265 votes (33.93%)
• Megan Ballinger – 35 votes (4.48%)
• Sheldon Boyd, Sr. (incumbent) – 481 votes (61.59%)

District II Representative

• Harvey Goodsky, Sr. – 8 votes (5.71%)
• Raina Killspotted – 81 votes (57.86%)
• Michael Aubid – 26 votes (18.57%)
• Thomas Benjamin – 25 votes (17.86%)

District III Representative

• Wallace St. John, Sr. – 33 votes (11.83%)
• Michelle (Shelly) Pomerleau – 90 votes (32.26%)
• Maria Costello – 34 votes (12.19%)
• Wanetta Thompson (Waabishkaanakwadookwe) – 10 votes (3.58%)
• Weylin Davis (Niigaanigwaneb) – 53 votes (19.00%)
• Lionel Richey – 59 votes (21.15%)

White Earth Nation:

Secretary/Treasurer

• Jacob McArthur – 616 votes (41.12%)
• Justin Keezer – 195 votes (13.02%)
• Michael “Mike” LaRoque (incumbent) – 474 votes (31.64%)
• Rock E. Keezer, Sr. – 49 votes (3.27%)
• Mykee Brown – 50 votes (3.34%)
• Jim LaFriniere – 114 votes (7.61%)

District I Committeeperson

• Andy “Jack” Auginaush – 131 votes (41.32%)
• Henry G. Fox (incumbent) – 152 votes (47.95%)
• Fawn Roy – 34 votes (10.73%)

District II Committeeperson

• Bonita Brown – 11 votes (1.55%)
• Leonard Louis Wadena – 28 votes (3.94%)
• Patty (Patleen) Straub – 117 votes (16.48%)
• Sheri Kay Snetsinger – 127 votes (17.89%)
• Joe Bush – 24 votes (3.38%)
• Alrick “Son” Accobee – 270 votes (38.03%)
• Tyler Coleman – 70 votes (9.86%)
• Tyler Anderson – 63 votes (8.87%)