TULSA, Okla. (AP) — The three candidates challenging incumbent Cherokee Principal Chief Bill John Baker in this year's election all disagree on how they'd run one of the county's largest American Indian tribes.
About the only thing they see eye to eye on is trying to unseat Baker from the position he's held since 2011.
Baker's challengers are Chad Smith, the former Cherokee chief; Charlie Soap, widower of late chief Wilma Mankiller and Will Fourkiller, a state lawmaker.
They all believe Baker can be beat with a unifying message that things have gotten too political in Tahlequah and it's time for some new blood in the tribal complex.
Baker says he's followed through on most of his campaign promises from 2011, including building homes for Cherokee citizens and streamlining tribal operations.