CATTARAUGUS TERRITORY - The officially sanctioned and recognized Seneca Party held its caucus Friday with Robert Odawi Porter narrowly winning the nomination as treasurer with 379 votes over challenger Rickey L. Armstrong Sr., who received 376 votes. Richard Nephew, current chair of council ran unopposed and secured his bid for the presidential nomination.
A total of 824 Seneca citizens cast their votes in the official Seneca Party caucus.
Geraldine Huff, from the Cattaraugus Territory, ran unopposed on the Seneca Party ticket for clerk and will seek her third term as clerk in the general election. Twelve candidates from Cattaraugus ran in the caucus, each seeking the nomination for one of four Cattaraugus Council seats. The four nominated to run for the Cattaraugus Council seats in the general election include: Jeff Gill with 496 votes; Charles Scanlan with 276 votes; Klint Nephew with 449 votes; and Christine Jimerson with 380 votes. Winning the nomination to seek the Allegany Council seats are: Diane Kennedy with 511 votes; Andrew Rozler with 310 votes, Trishelle John-Murphy with 478 votes; and Stephen Maybee with 310 votes.
Winning the nomination for chief marshal for Cattaraugus is Justine Kelly-Nephew with 385 votes. Lawrence Isaac, John Serio, and Nick Mohawk all ran unopposed for the three Cattaraugus marshal seats. Ron Warrior ran unopposed for highway commissioner; Nadine Maracle, Hilary Ground and Paula Hill all ran unopposed for assessor; and Marty Lay ran unopposed for poormaster.
On the Seneca Party ticket for Allegany are Brandon Crouse who ran unopposed for chief marshal; three marshals who ran unopposed are Jerald Harris, Andrew Phearsdorf and Christopher Runn. On the ticket for assessor are Sandra Hill, Jordan Bowen and Brenda Redeye, all ran unopposed; and for Poormaster Dorsie John Blue-Sky received 346 votes to appear on the ticket over Penny Seneca with 314 votes; and for highway commissioner, Gary Sanden ran unopposed.
The official Seneca Party caucus, which is akin to a primary vote, was conducted by machine ballots at the Gowanda VFW for the Cattaraugus Territory and at the Allegany Indian Reservation Fire Hall for the Allegany Territory from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday.
The Seneca Nation will hold its general election on Tuesday, Nov. 6. The Seneca Nation elects a president every two years, and the president's office rotates between the Cattaraugus and Allegany territories. This year the president's office will be held by a Seneca citizen from the Cattaraugus Territory. The Seneca Nation Constitution holds that no president shall serve consecutive terms. The Seneca Nation will also elect the clerk, from the Cattaraugus Territory, treasurer from the Allegany Territory, and eight councilors; four from each territory. Councilors serve four-year staggered terms, with no term limits.