Finley is lone incumbent to survive tribal election

Six new members will join the Colville Business Council in July, according to official poll and absentee ballot results released Thursday night.

In Nespelem District 1, longtime Councilmember Harvey Moses, Jr. lost to William “Billy” Nicholson II 463-252. District 2’s Ricky Gabriel lost to Nancy C. Johnson 447-260.

Joseph L. Somday prevailed in his challenge to Jack W. Ferguson, winning the Keller seat 164-78.

Current CBC Chairman Michael O. Finley was the lone incumbent to retain his seat, fending off Lou Stone for the Inchelium District 2 seat 287-212. And newcomer Jim Boyd gained Doug Seymour’s Position 1 seat 306-207.

In Omak, two people who had been fired from tribal government jobs in controversial council decisions in recent years, won CBC seats decisively.

Former tribal executive director Nancy “Lynn” Palmanteer-Holder, fired for no cause in 2011, took the Position 1 seat from Aaron “Scarbo” Marchand 461-208. John Sirois, among a group of department heads let go in 2007, defeated Ben E. Marchand, Jr. for Omak’s Position 2, 433-239.