Four Osages filed for candidacy on the first day of the filing period seeking Osage Nation Congressional office in the June 1 general election.
The Congressional filing period is open through Monday, March 2, for Osages interested in running for six legislative seats that will be open in the election. Eligible candidates are tribally enrolled Osages who are at least 25 years old on election day and who do not have felony convictions, according to the 2006 Osage Constitution.
At 8 a.m., incumbent Joe Tillman, currently the Congressional Speaker, filed first at the ON Election office in downtown Pawhuska. Tillman is seeking a second term on the 12-member Congress.
Shortly after, Jodie Revard filed for candidacy second. Revard, deputy director of operations for the Executive Branch, previously served on the 31st Osage Tribal Council under the Nation’s former government.
Michael Bristow is the third candidate to file for office. Bristow is a current ON Health Authority Board member and previously ran for Congress in 2016.
At midday, Colt Herren became the fourth Osage to file for office. Herren is a City of Tulsa firefighter who ran for Congressional office in 2018.
The six ON Congressional seats each have four-year terms with two regularly scheduled Congressional sessions each year lasting up to 24 days with the Hun-Kah Session in spring and Tzi-Zho Session in the fall. Special sessions (lasting up to 10 days) may be called at other times throughout the year via written proclamations issued by the Principal Chief or legislative approval by two-thirds of the Congress members.
Congressional incumbents for this year’s election are Tillman, Congresswomen Shannon Edwards, Maria Whitehorn and Congressmen John Maker and RJ Walker. Congressman Archie Mason told the Osage News he is officially retiring at the end of his term this year and won’t be seeking re-election.
The candidate filing period will resume on Thursday, Feb. 6, due to the threat of inclement weather prompting ON government office closures on Feb. 5, said Election Supervisor Alexis Rencountre.
After the candidate filing period ends, the ON Election Board will meet to consider certification of the candidates, pending background checks conducted by the ON Attorney General’s Office. In accordance with the Nation’s open meetings act, the Election Board meets as needed for regular or special meetings to consider election-related business in the ON Election Office at 608 Kihekah.
The ON Election Office website contains other forms and information on the 2020 election including address update forms, absentee ballot request forms and information on the privacy program regarding voter information listed on the voter registration list. The website is at: www.osagenation-nsn.gov/what-we-do/elections
By
Benny Polacca
Original Publish Date: 2020-02-05 00:00:00
