Cherokee looked back for its future in today’s General Election, with an overwhelming majority of voters electing to oust incumbent Principal Chief Richard Sneed and bring former Chief Michell Hicks back for a fourth term. On Tribal Council, voters brought change by replacing four incumbents with candidates who have previously served multiple terms on Council.
In addition to choosing new elected officials, tribal members overwhelmingly voted to endorse recreational marijuana use on the Qualla Boundary and to approve the issuance of mixed drink permits for establishments like hotels and restaurants.
Hicks, who was the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians principal chief 2003-2015, received 65 percent of the vote in today’s election, commanding a double-digit lead over Sneed in each of the tribe’s six townships. He did the best in Big Cove, where he drew 71 percent of 314 votes cast, and worst in Snowbird/Cherokee County, where he received 56 percent of 369 votes.
Read more on the Smoky Mountain News.