Bill John Baker was re-elected as principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, winning 53 percent of the vote versus 28 percent for former Chief Chad Smith. Will Fourkiller, a state representative from Stilwell, got 10 percent and community activist Charlie Soap received 9 percent. Deputy Chief S. Joe Crittenden also was re-elected.
In a hard-fought race in 2011, Baker defeated Smith, then a three-term incumbent. Original ballots were thrown out and a second election was called by the Cherokee Supreme Court.
This time, Smith was determined to make a comeback, charging Baker with favoritism and mismanagement at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, but his criticisms never made a breakthrough. Voting in this year’s election was lighter than expected, with only about 30 percent of the tribe’s 63,000 registered voters casting ballots.
“We’re going to continue on with what we’re doing. We have a lot of projects in the works, and there might be some things that come along,” Baker said.
