TULSA, Okla. (AP) — The four candidates looking to become the next principal chief of the Cherokee Nation are making a final push for votes this week.
Saturday's election will decide who leads one of the largest American Indian tribes that has some 320,000 citizens and 9,000 employees.
To win outright, a candidate would need to secure more than 50 percent of votes cast. With four contenders in the race, a July runoff is a strong possibility.
The candidates are: incumbent Principal Chief Bill John Baker; former Cherokee Chief Chad Smith; state Rep. Will Fourkiller; and Charlie Soap, the widower of late Cherokee Chief Wilma Mankiller.
The last contest for chief in 2011 proved bitter and costly, and dragged on for months.