Poll vote may indicate tribal changes coming

Two sitting Colville Business Council members lost out to challengers in the primary “poll” count last Saturday and will not make it to the general election June 16 unless absentee ballots put them over the top.

The two biggest vote getters in each race go on to the general election.

Leading candidates in the Omak district races are members who have been fired from tribal leadership posts in the past, including Lynn Palmanteer-Holder, whose ouster as executive director led to a movement to encourage change in tribal structure last year.

In the Omak District Pos. 1 race, challenger Palmanteer-Holder got the largest primary vote of any candidate, garnering 242 votes.

Incumbent Aaron “Scarbo” Marchand had 97 votes. If the totals hold up, both will be in the general election. Also gaining votes was Darryl W. Peterson, who got 41.

Sylvia Tatshama Peasley garnered only 17 votes in the Keller District Position 1 race and could lose out to two challengers: Jack W. Ferguson and Joseph L. Somday, who each had 24 votes.

Others in that district race were Vern F. Kheel, 11 votes; Henry Stensgar, 1 vote; and Edie Van Slyke, 7 votes.

Ernie A. Williams, incumbent in the Omak District 2 race is losing out to Ben E. Marchand Jr., and John Sirois. Marchand had 105 votes and Sirois had 178 votes, while Williams had 68 votes. Others in the race include Shirley K. Charley with 33 votes.

Harvey Moses, Jr., the incumbent in Nespelem District Position 1, led top challenger William “Billy” Nicholson II by only three votes. Moses had 65 votes and Nicholson had 62. Others receiving votes were Jonnie L. Bray, 46; Milton “Jewie” Davis, Jr., 43; and Myland Williams Sr., 14.

In the Nespelem District Pos. 2 race, incumbent Ricky Gabriel had 82 votes. His nearest challenger, Nancy C. Johnson, had 62.

Others polling votes were Larry Holford, 33; Rita Seward-Martin, 13; and Patrick J. Tonasket, 41.

In the Inchelium District Pos. 1 race, incumbent Doug Seymour looks like he will make it into the general election even though he trailed challenger Jim Boyd, 99-73. Also running was David R. Finley who got 13 votes.

There wasn’t a primary vote in the Inchelium District Position 2 race.

Absentee ballots could still change the outcome of the races and those votes will be counted this Thursday and posted.