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NETT LAKE— Kevin Leecy is contesting the April 5 Bois Forte primary election, according to Gary Frazer, executive director of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribes. Frazer said he could not release the …
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NETT LAKE— Kevin Leecy is contesting the April 5 Bois Forte primary election, according to Gary Frazer, executive director of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribes. Frazer said he could not release the official election protest filed by Leecy nor describe the nature of his complaint.
Leecy, who has served as tribal chairman for the past 12 years, was defeated in the primary by challenger Cathy Chavers, who garnered just over 51 percent of the vote in a three-way race. By capturing a majority of the vote, Chavers avoided a general election run-off.
Under the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe’s election ordinance, the protest must be decided by a Contest Judge by April 22. According to the ordinance, the burden of proof rests with the contester, who must demonstrate that the election ordinance was violated in a manner that affected the outcome of the election. “There shall be a presumption of correctness in favor of the General Reservation Election Board and the election results until the contester has met his or her burden of proof,” states the ordinance.
Election contests are common within tribal elections. According to Frazer, candidates in the April 5 tribal elections, which were held at reservations across northern Minnesota, have filed a total of 14 election contests, most of them from Leech Lake.
Neither Leecy nor Chavers was available for comment as of presstime.