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The 2023 Cherokee Nation principal chief election was held on June 3, 2023, concurrently with the 2023 Cherokee Nation tribal council elections and 2023 Cherokee Nation deputy chief election, to elect the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Incumbent principal chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. ran for re-election to a second term in office with incumbent deputy chief Bryan Warner as his running mate and was re-elected to a second term. [lower-alpha 1]
Chuck Hoskin Jr. pledged that if re-elected, he would continue his work preserving the Cherokee language, building more hospitals, providing job training for Cherokee citizens, and addressing the opioid crisis. Cara Cowan Watts touted her status as the only woman in the race; if elected, she would be the Cherokee Nation's first female principal chief since 2011. She promised to address the healthcare worker shortage while also improving education and housing. Wes Nofire said his top priority would be to reduce wasteful spending by the Cherokee government. David Cornsilk pledged to reform the tribal court system and increase access to healthcare and housing. [4]
Hoskin's challengers accused him of mismanaging COVID relief funds, giving unnecessary pay raises to elected officials, not doing enough to preserve Cherokee culture, and failing to ensure adequate staffing at healthcare facilities. He defended his record on these issues, though he also acknowledged the staffing issue and proposed expanding telehealth. [5]
Cara Cowan Watts and David Walkingstick's campaigns were barred by the Cherokee Nation district court from operating a "registration checker" on their campaign website that allowed users to look up Cherokee voters' names and addresses by an injunction after the court ruled its operation violated the Cherokee Nation Election Law and Privacy Act. Walkingstick's attorney, former Cherokee Nation principal chief Chad Smith, described the ruling as a "political stunt." [6]
The election was held on June 3, 2023. [2]
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chuck Hoskin Jr. (incumbent) | 10,756 | 62.76% | |
| Cara Cowan Watts | 4,095 | 23.89% | |
| Wes Nofire | 1,720 | 10.04% | |
| David Cornsilk | 568 | 3.31% | |
| Total votes | 17,139 | 100% | |
The Cherokee Nation, also known as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It includes people descended from members of the Old Cherokee Nation who relocated, due to increasing pressure, from the Southeast to Indian Territory and Cherokee who were forced to relocate on the Trail of Tears. The tribe also includes descendants of Cherokee Freedmen, Absentee Shawnee, and Natchez Nation. As of 2023, over 450,000 people were enrolled in the Cherokee Nation.
David Cornsilk is a professional genealogist and served as the managing editor of the Cherokee Observer, an online news website founded in 1992. He founded of the grassroots Cherokee National Party in the 1990s, seeking to create a movement to promote the Nation as a political entity. While working as a full-time store clerk at Petsmart, he "took on America’s second-largest Indian tribe, the Cherokee Nation, in what led to a landmark tribal decision. Cornsilk served as a lay advocate, which permits non-lawyers to try cases before the Cherokee Nation’s highest court." Cornsilk had worked for the nation as a tribal enrollment research analyst and for the Bureau of Indian Affairs as a genealogical researcher. He also has his own genealogical firm. He ran in the 2023 Cherokee Nation principal chief election. He lost the election to incumbent principal chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.
Chuck Hoskin is a Cherokee and American politician and former member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 6th district, which includes parts of Craig, Mayes, and Rogers counties. He served as a whip for the Democratic caucus. He is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, and he served from 1995 to 2007 as a member of the Tribal Council, and in 2011 became Chief of Staff for the Principal Chief, Baker. In 2019 his son, Chuck Hoskin Jr., was elected Principal Chief of Cherokee Nation.
Bill John Baker is a Native American politician who served as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. First elected in October 2011, Baker defeated three-term incumbent Chief Chad "Corntassel" Smith. Prior to his election as Chief, Baker served 12 years on the Cherokee Tribal Council. In 1999, Baker unsuccessfully ran for Deputy Chief of the Cherokee Nation.
The 2019 Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma principal chief election was held on Saturday, June 1, 2019. Former Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. defeated Tribal Councilman Dick Lay in the election.
Chuck Hoskin Jr. is a Cherokee Nation politician and attorney currently serving as the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation since 2019. He was re-elected to a second term in the 2023 Cherokee Nation principal chief election.
The 2021 Cherokee Nation tribal council elections took place on July 5, 2021, and July 24, 2021. The Cherokee Nation's Tribal Council is made up of seventeen tribal councilors elected from the fifteen districts within the reservation boundaries and two at-large seats.
John Wesley "Wes" Nofire is a Cherokee Nation and American politician and a former heavyweight professional boxer who has served as the Oklahoma Native American Affairs Liaison since 2023. During his boxing career Nofire fought under the name "The Cherokee Warrior". Nofire served on the Cherokee Nation tribal council between 2019 and 2023. He was a Republican candidate in the 2022 primary election for Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district and candidate in the 2023 Cherokee Nation principal chief election.
Joe Crittendon is a Cherokee Nation politician who has served as the Cherokee Nation Secretary of Veteran Affairs since 2019. He previously served on the tribal council, as deputy chief, and Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation in 2011.
Cara Cowan Watts is a Cherokee Nation politician. She served on the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council from 2003 to 2015 and was a candidate for Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation in the 2023 Cherokee Nation principal chief election.
The 2023 Cherokee Nation tribal council elections took place concurrently with the 2023 Cherokee Nation principal chief election and 2023 Cherokee Nation deputy chief election on June 3, 2023, with runoff elections, where necessary, held on July 8, 2023. The Cherokee Nation's Tribal Council is made up of seventeen Tribal Councilors elected from the fifteen districts within the reservation boundaries and two at-large seats.
Joseph Tali Byrd is a Cherokee Nation and Quapaw Nation politician who served as the Quapaw Nation Chairman from 2020 until his resignation in 2023.
The 2023 Cherokee Nation deputy chief election was held on June 3, 2023, concurrently with the 2023 Cherokee Nation tribal council elections and 2023 Cherokee Nation principal chief election, to elect the Deputy Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Incumbent deputy chief Bryan Warner ran for re-election to a second term in office with incumbent principal chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. as his running mate. Warner won re-election with over 61% of the vote.
Bryan Warner is a Cherokee Nation politician who has served as the deputy chief of the Cherokee Nation since 2019 and who served as the Cherokee Nation tribal councilor for the 6th district from 2015 to 2019.
David Walkingstick is a Cherokee Nation politician who served on the Cherokee Nation tribal council between 2011 and 2019.
Meredith Frailey is a Cherokee Nation politician who served on the Cherokee Nation tribal council from 2003 to 2013.
Keith Austin is a Cherokee Nation and American politician who served on the Cherokee Nation tribal council representing the 14th District between 2015 and 2023.
Dora Patzkowski is a Cherokee Nation politician who has served as the Cherokee Nation tribal councilor for the 12th district since 2019.
Julia Coates is a Cherokee Nation politician serving as one of the two at-large Cherokee Nation tribal councilors since 2019. She was one of the first elected at-large tribal councilors in 2007 and served until term limited in 2015.
Mike Shambaugh is an American and Cherokee Nation politician, baseball player, and police officer who has served on the Cherokee Nation tribal councilor representing the 9th district since 2017 and as speaker of the Cherokee Nation tribal council since 2021.
