Primary set for Grand Portage Tribal Council

There will be a primary to fill two vacancies on the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Tribal Council on April 29. Candidates have applied to run for the Tribal Council Chair and a committeeperson seat.

The Grand Portage community lost its long-time leader when Chair Norman Deschampe died on February 9, 2019. A special election was announced to fill that vacancy.

Tribal Council Vice-Chair Marie Spry stepped in to serve as Interim Tribal Chair and she has applied to run for the chair position. To do so, she resigned from her committeeperson seat, creating another vacancy.

That means two Tribal Council positions on the ballot in an April 29 primary.

Running for Chair is Marie Spry, Beth Drost, Tony Swader and Donavan Dahmen.

Running for Committeperson is Rick Anderson, Jason Burnett, Vallen Cook and Rob Hull.

The primary will reduce the candidates to two for each position to be on the special election ballot on July 1.

The Grand Portage Tribal Council is the governing body of the reservation and is a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. The primary is being held in accordance with the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe constitution, which calls for a primary if there are multiple candidates for the same seat.

The Grand Portage Tribal Council consists of a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary/Treasurer, and two Committee members. All positions are four-year terms.