Incumbents big winners in council races

Thirty-two current members of the Navajo Nation Council are in the running to be on the new 24-member council.

Another 23 incumbents did not survive Tuesday's primary.

In most cases, the delegates who lost were edged out - or flattened - by other incumbents.

With all chapters reporting and the count wrapped up earlier than usual Tuesday night, one race remained so close that it could change in the next few days when the challenged votes are decided.

In Tó Nanees Dizí Chapter, incumbent Raymond Maxx was trailing Joshua Lavar Butler by six votes, 273 to 279, for the second spot on the Nov. 2 ballot. Hope MacDonald LoneTree came in first with 306 votes.

In all the other council races, second and third place were separated by 30 or more votes, making it unlikely that challenged votes could change the outcome.

For the most part, voters went for names they recognized, even while grumbling about wanting to "throw all the crooks out," as one Rock Springs Chapter voter put it.

And in races where three or more incumbents were facing off, those from larger chapters won.

All of the 24 new districts have at least one incumbent in the running so there's a possibility that come January, the new council will be composed entirely of holdovers from the current council.

Incumbents are facing off in 11 districts and some of the most influential members of the current council are fighting for their political life.

For example, George Arthur (372 votes) came in a distant second to LoRenzo Bates (980 votes) for the district that includes Nenahnezad, Newcomb, San Juan, T'iistoh Sikaad, Tsé Daa 'Kaan and Upper Fruitland chapters.

Bates, head of the Budget & Finance Committee, currently represents Upper Fruitland. Arthur, head of the Resources Committee, represents all the other chapters at present.

Leonard Teller (426 votes) came in a distant second to Nelson S. Begaye (869) in the district comprised of Lukachukai, Rock Point, Round Rock and Tsaile-Wheatfields chapters. Both currently represent Lukachukai and Tsaile-Wheatfields.

And Young Jeff Tom, a frequent sponsor of spending bills who won election in his Mariano Lake/Smith Lake district by one vote several years back, will have to campaign hard to overcome the 692-to-1,056 difference between him and the less prominent Edmund E. Yazzie (Thoreau).

Another incumbent, Ernest Yazzie, was eliminated, probably because his district (Bááháálí/Church Rock) was split up in the redistricting.

Tom and Edmund Yazzie are vying to represent the Church Rock/Iyanbito/Mariano Lake/Pinedale/Smith Lake/Thoreau district.

The other districts that feature two incumbents fighting for a single seat are Aneth/Mexican Water/Red Mesa/Teecnospos/Tólikan (Davis Filfred vs. Kenneth Maryboy), Baca-Prewitt/Casamero Lake/Counselor/Littlewater/Ojo Encino/Pueblo Pintado/Torreon/Whitehorse Lake (Hoskie Kee vs. Leonard Tsosie), Alamo/Ramah/Tóhajiilee (George Apachito vs. Lawrence R. Platero), Navajo Mountain/Oljato/Shonto/Ts'ah bii Kin (Herman Daniels Jr. vs. Jonathan Nez), Bahastl'ah/Coyote Canyon/Mexican Springs/Naschitti/Tohatchi (Mel R. Begay vs. Norman John II), Becenti/Crownpoint/Huerfano/Lake Valley/Nageezi/Nahodishgish/Tsé'íí'áhí/Whiterock (Harry Hubbard vs. Danny Simpson), Dilkon/Greasewood Springs/Indian Wells/Teesto/White Cone (Elmer P. Begay vs. Lee Jack Sr.), and Bááháálí/Chichiltah/Manuelito/Red Rock/Rock Springs/Tsayatoh (Harriett K. Becenti vs. Charles Damon II).

A few non-incumbents with familiar names also made it past the primary.

Milton Bluehouse Sr., a former delegate and current president of the government reform advocacy group Hada'asida, is in the runoff to represent the Cornfields/ Ganado/Jeddito/Kinlichee /Steamboat district. He faces Alton Joe Shepherd, who polled nearly twice his numbers in the primary (683 versus 387).

Genevieve Jackson, a former council delegate still active in public life, was the top vote getter in the Crystal/Fort Defiance/Red Lake/Sawmill district with 392 votes to 373 for incumbent Roscoe D. Smith (Crystal/Red Lake/Sawmill).

Duane S. Tsinigine, another former council delegate, came in second in the Bodaway-Gap/Coppermine/ LeChee/Tonalea-Red Lake district, getting 366 votes to 631 for incumbent Evelyn J. Acothley (Bodaway-Gap/Cameron/Coppermine).

These current council delegates did not survive the primary, according to preliminary results:    Leonard Anthony, Omer Begay Jr., Ralph Bennett Jr., Ray Berchman, Jack Colorado, Benjamin Curley, Cecil Eriacho, Tim Goodluck, Edward V. Jim Sr., Raymond Joe, Woody Lee, Lena Manheimer, Kee Yazzie Mann, Raymond Maxx, Elmer Milford, Larry Noble, David B. Rico, Billy Robbins Sr., Orlanda Smith Hodge, Tommy Tsosie, Harry Willeto, Elbert R. Wheeler and Ernest D. Yazzie Jr.

Two notable efforts by groups to influence voters for or against specific candidates had mixed results.

An advertisement from the Hada'asida organization ran in the July 22 Navajo Times and urged voters not to support 44 named incumbents. The ad listed the parts of their voting record or actions that the group considered objectionable.

Only 21 of the named delegates received enough votes to stay in the running.

An ad endorsing certain candidates as pro-reform ran July 31 in another local paper, but it is unclear who sponsored it. The Web site listed in the ad could not be found on the Internet, nor did a Web search turn up anything for the group named as ad sponsor, 24now.

Eleven of the 22 endorsed candidates, including several incumbents, made it to the general election.

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