Michell Hicks overwhelmingly defeated incumbent Richard Sneed in the race for principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians on Thursday, the Smoky Mountain News reports.
Hicks, who previously served as principal chief from 2003 to 2015, got 65% of the vote and won in each of the tribe’s six townships.
“We are presented with the invaluable opportunity to steer our tribal government’s focus back to our community, our membership, and create a brighter future,” Hicks wrote in a Facebook post after the election.
Tribal members also voted ‘yes’ on recreational marijuana use on the Qualla Boundary and OK’d the issuance of mixed drink permits for hotels and restaurants.
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians elect Michell Hicks chief, approve recreational marijuana
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.