Grand Portage primary held

Grand Portage band members went to the polls this week to vote in the primary for Reservation Tribal Council (RTC) Chair and Committeeman.

Incumbent Tribal Chair Norman Deschampe received 199 votes, or 51 percent, and retains his seat.  Because Deschampe received more than half of the votes, he will not have to run again in the June general election.  Also running for Tribal Chair was Donovan Dahmen, Lena Deschampe Santos and Dennis B. Morrison.

There were four candidates running for the open Committeeman seat: Rita Evans, incumbent William “Bill” Myers, Robert Hull, and Marie Spry.  Voting was very close in this race, with none of the candidates receiving a majority of the votes.  The initial vote count has Marie Spry with 132 votes, Robert Hull with 110, Bill Meyers with 109. and Rita Evans with 11.  A recount has been scheduled to determine the final results.

The recount will be held in the Old Log Community Building in Grand Portage at 10 a.m., Monday, April 9th and is open to Grand Portage band members. The two candidates with the most votes will move on to the general election in June.