Baker elected chair of Rocky Boy's council

Harlan Gopher Baker, a member of the Chippewa Cree Business Committee  was elected tribal council chair in Tuesday’s tribal elections on Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation.

Baker defeated fellow Business Committee member Beau Mitchell 740 to 306.

He will succeed current Chair Ken St. Marks who was defeated in his bid for re-election when he came in third in a six-way primary.

The Chippewa Cree Election Board initially declined to release the results Wednesday, saying they couldn’t do so until after a five-day protest period has passed and the results certified. However, an Election Board member later said that the initial refusal was a mistake by a new employee and released the results.   

Baker said this morning that he does not wish to comment on the outcome until after the five-day period has elapsed.

Mitchell was unavailable for comment before print deadline this morning.

In the Business Committee member election, incumbents Teddy Russette III and Ted Whitford were re-elected to their seats with 606 and 533 votes respectively. Newcomers Luke Parisian and Joe Demontiney Jr were elected. Parisian  garnered 592 votes and Demontiney 488.

The four candidates who failed in their bid for election were Daryl Wright II with 453 votes, Lenore Myers-Nault with 432, “Jazz” Raymond W. Parker with 396 and Russell Standing Rock with 343.