2023 Cherokee Nation tribal council elections

The 2023 Cherokee Nation tribal council elections took place concurrently with the 2023 Cherokee Nation principal chief election and 2023 Cherokee Nation deputy chief election on June 3, 2023, with runoff elections, where necessary, held on July 8, 2023. The Cherokee Nation's Tribal Council is made up of seventeen Tribal Councilors elected from the fifteen districts within the reservation boundaries and two at-large seats.

In 2023, tribal council elections were scheduled to be held for districts 1, 3, 6, 8, 12, 13, 14, and for one of the at-large seats.

Background
The 2023 Cherokee Nation elections were scheduled to take place on June 3, 2023, with runoff elections scheduled for July 8, 2023. The swearing in of elected officials took place on August 14, 2023. The election was the first election where the Cherokee Nation Election Commission had an in-house investigator to investigate election code violations. The election also utilized 70 new voting machines to replace the older 2012 models used in prior elections. Eight out of the seventeen seats on the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council were scheduled to have elections in 2023. In order to win a seat on the Tribal Council, a candidate must receive 50% plus one vote. If no candidate received 50% plus one vote, then a runoff election was held between the two top vote earning candidates.

As of May 2023, there were 78,419 registered voters – 44,592 within the reservation and 33,827 at-large.

Legal issues
A complaint by District 1 candidate Trae Ratliff alleged that absentee ballots could be read through envelopes with the use of a flashlight. While the Cherokee Nation Election Commission made clear the envelopes were the same as past elections, they unanimously voted to order heavier envelopes for the runoff election and all future elections.

Term limited

 * Rex Jordan, District 1
 * Shawn Crittenden, District 8
 * Keith Austin, District 14

Retiring

 * Wes Nofire, District 3 (ran for principal chief)

District 1
Incumbent Rex Jordan was term limited. Sasha Blackfox-Qualls won the runoff election.

Candidates
Winner
 * Sasha Blackfox-Qualls

Eliminated in the runoff election
 * Dale Lee Glory

Eliminated in the general election
 * Brian Jackson
 * Trae Ratliff

District 3
Incumbent Wes Nofire ran for principal chief. Lisa Hall won the runoff election.

Candidates
Winner
 * Lisa Hall

Eliminated in the runoff election
 * Sara Drywater-Barnett

Eliminated in the general election
 * Joseph Tali Byrd, former chair of the Quapaw Nation
 * Dyllon Fite
 * Brandon Girty
 * Brian Speake

District 6
Incumbent Daryl Legg won re-election.

Candidates

 * Dustin Bush
 * Daryl Legg, incumbent tribal councilor
 * Steve Russell

District 8
Incumbent Shawn Crittenden is term limited.

Codey Poindexter won the runoff election.

Candidates
Winner
 * Codey Poindexter

Eliminated in the runoff election
 * Jillian Decker

Eliminated in the general election
 * Timothy Fishinghawk
 * Jerry Don Hardbarger
 * Troy Littledeer
 * Jon Minor
 * John Teehee

District 12
Incumbent Dora Patzkowski won re-election.

Candidates

 * Dora Patzkowski, incumbent tribal councilor
 * Crystal St. John

District 13
Incumbent Joe Deere won re-election.

Candidates

 * Joe Deere, incumbent tribal councilor
 * Ed Phillips

District 14
Incumbent Keith Austin was term limited. Kevin Easley Jr. won the general election.

Candidates

 * Kevin Easley Jr.
 * Warren Murray
 * Carrie Ann Vargas

At-large district
Incumbent Julia Coates won re-election.

Candidates

 * Julia Coates, incumbent tribal councilor
 * Jared Coody
 * Craig Hood
 * James Smay