Seven Osages will serve on the Eighth Osage Nation Congress after winning the top places in the 2022 General Election.
Incumbents Scott BigHorse, Alice Goodfox, Eli Potts, Brandy Lemon and Paula Stabler won reelection to the Legislative Branch. Former Congressman Otto Hamilton also won another term and Whitney Red Corn will serve her first Congressional term, according to the unofficial election results. At 10:45 p.m., Wahzhazhe Elections Supervisor Alexis Rencountre announced the results in front of the Minerals Council Chambers building on the ON government campus with Election Board members and polling place workers standing with her.
Also in the same election, Osages voted to retain all four Judicial Branch judges to each serve another four-year term. William Oldfield will serve a second term as the Nation’s Trial Court Chief Judge. Supreme Court Associate Justices Drew Pierce and Elizabeth Lohah Homer will serve their third terms. Supreme Court Chief Justice Meredith (Quinata) Drent will serve her fifth term on the Nation’s High Court.
For the first time in the Osage reformed government’s history, a Congressional candidate finishing seventh will serve the remaining two years of a four-year term vacated this year after Congressman RJ Walker was elected Assistant Principal Chief in that respective election race. Walker won his third Congressional term in the 2020 General Election.
Bighorse won his second Congressional term with the most votes out of 13 total candidates by receiving 1,447 total votes. Goodfox finished in second place with 1,247 votes to serve a fourth Congressional term. Potts will serve a second Congressional term after receiving 1,159 votes.
Lemon will also serve a second term after winning 1,151 votes. Hamilton, who previously served on Congress from 2014 to 2018, will serve a second term after placing fifth with 1,149 votes. Red Corn, who made her first run for Osage elected office, will now serve an inaugural four-year Congressional term after winning sixth place with 1,098 votes.
With Walker’s win in the Assistant Principal Chief’s race, Stabler will serve the remainder of Walker’s two years in Congressional office after placing seventh with 1,067 votes. Stabler served her first Congressional term after winning office in 2018.
Candidates wishing to contest and challenge the results have until June 10 (4:30 p.m. Central time) to file request forms with the Election Office.
“I’m humbled, I’m very grateful to the Osage people for their support and I’m ready to get to work,” Goodfox said after the results announcement.
“Excited and thankful for the opportunity to serve another four years on the Osage Nation in Congress,” Potts said. “We have a lot of work to do, so let’s get to work for the Osage People. Thank you and Congratulations to everyone!”
“I’m super happy, I feel that I’m so fortunate that our people have confidence in me and they believe I can continue to do the job and I’m (also) at a loss for words – to get in the first time and to get reelected because not everybody does. I’m blessed and privileged,” Lemon said.
Red Corn also expressed excitement at the results, stating “I’m thrilled, humbled and excited to work – thank you for the opportunity!”
“I was surprised, didn’t realize that’s how the seventh charm is going to work, so I’m thrilled and happy to serve two (more) years,” Stabler said.
“I’m very humbled to be elected once again,” Hamilton said in a social media post. “I would like to congratulate all the winners in this Election and let every candidate know that it’s very admirable and courageous to step up and throw your hat in the ring. Timing is big deal, maybe now wasn’t the right time, but I assure you, the Osage Nation needs you and will need you in the years to come, so consider running again.”
Pending any recount requests or challenges, the Wahzhazhe Elections Board will consider and vote to certify the results at a later meeting. Election Board Vice Chair Terry Hazen and alternate board member Anita Fields, who is a temporary voting member, signed a copy of the unofficial results along with Rencountre.
The results stated 2,475 ballots were counted in the General Election, which represents 14.1% of 17,535 eligible Osage voters as of June 6.
2022 Osage Inauguration Day is set for Saturday, July 9 at the Tulsa Osage Casino Hotel for those elected in the June 6 General Election to take their oaths of office.
