Following Unexplained Delays, Grand Traverse Band Election Finally Proceeds

After two publicly unexplained postponements, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians finally held its 2026 general election this week. On the ballot were six candidates vying for three open tribal council seats, as well as an emergency reserve fund proposal “intended to ensure continuity of essential tribal government services during emergencies.”

GTB’s tribal council is made up of a chairperson and six councilors, all of whom serve four-year terms. To avoid total board turnover, elections are staggered, with three seats up for grabs every two years and the tribal chairperson role on the ballot every four. During the last election cycle, in the spring of 2024, Sandra Witherspoon became just the second woman in tribal history elected chairperson. Councilors Angelina Raphael, Anna Miller, and Donna Swallows also won terms. Those four positions will be on the ballot again in 2028.

This year, the other three tribal seats – currently occupied by Vice Chairwoman Jane Rohl, and councilors Brian Napont and Tina Frankenberger – were up for election. A whopping 16 candidates contended in a March 31 primary, with the top six vote-getters advancing to the general election. Rohl and Frankenberger both lost re-election by failing to make the top six.

Since that March 31 primary, big question marks have emerged around this GTB election cycle. The initial timeline called for the general election to be held on Tuesday, May 5, with oaths of office for new councilmembers tentatively scheduled for Thursday, May 14. That election date was scrapped without explanation and rescheduled to Tuesday, June 2, with oaths of office now slated for Thursday, June 11. Then, on May 28, just five days before the election, GTB announced it was postponing the vote once more, this time “until further notice.”

“We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time,” the tribe’s election board wrote in the announcement of the second postponement. “Please stay tuned for further updates regarding the rescheduled election date and additional information.”

That second postponement prompted multiple comments on the tribe’s Facebook page, asking for details about why the election was being pushed back – and even about whether the delays were legal.

“When you don’t give members an explanation, that’s how rumors start,” one person commented.

No explanation ever came. When The Ticker contacted Witherspoon’s office this week seeking comment on the delays, the chairwoman referred questions on the matter to the tribe’s election board. The election board did not respond to requests for comment.

If election challenges are to blame for the delay, that isn’t evident from documentation published on the GTB election board website. Numbers are identical between the unofficial primary results and the certified results. The election board did post a notice on March 24, five days before the primary, noting that any votes cast for one of the 16 candidates, Andrew Myrick, would be “considered invalid under current guidelines.” But Myrick ultimately received zero votes in either the unofficial or official tallies.

GTB’s general election finally occurred this Tuesday, and unofficial results published that evening show razor-thin margins between multiple candidates. Napont won re-election with 173 votes, the most of any contender. Francis Carew and Ryan Memberto narrowly won the other two seats, with 166 votes apiece. The fourth and fifth-place vote-getters, David Wonegeshik and Amanda-Jo McSauby Jones, both missed out on council seats by just a couple ballots, earning 164 votes and 163 votes, respectively. David Arroyo, who previously served as GTB chairman from 2020 to 2024, finished sixth with 139 votes.

Napont campaigned on his tribal council record, highlighting “steady, progressive progress” in recent years that “strengthens our Nation and provides opportunity for our members.” Examples included new revenue channels, like online gaming and the opening of Crystal Shores Casino in Benzie County, and the new housing development off Herkner Road in Traverse City.

Memberto, meanwhile, positioned himself as a new generational voice for the council, writing in his candidate essay that it was “time for our young people to step up and come forward with appreciation for our ancestors, respect for our elders, and commitment to our future generations.”

Carew, finally, touted his current GTB roles as tribal librarian and community teacher, and his track record for leading “a variety of cultural and non-cultural programs, events, and activities that benefit both our tribal community and the neighboring non-native community.”

Tribal members now have until July 1 to file election challenges. If there are no challenges, the election results will be certified on the morning of July 2, with new councilors to be sworn in at noon that day at the Leelanau Sands Casino showroom.

The other major item on the ballot, the  emergency reserve fund proposal, won tribal approval 237 votes to 119. Explaining the proposal in a recent tribal newsletter, Witherspoon wrote that the fund would be a stopgap to keep essential GTB government services running in case of emergencies, such as “federal funding disruptions, cyberattacks, or natural disasters.”

“If approved, the fund would be built using a combination of existing tribal revenues and structured contributions, with a capped reserve and clear oversight measures,” Witherspoon wrote. “Funds could be used for critical needs such as emergency assistance, warming centers, program operations, employee salaries, infrastructure repairs, and emergency response efforts. The proposal also establishes strong accountability, including regular reporting, audits, and oversight by a designated committee.”

Tuesday’s general election saw just a 39 percent voter turnout among GTB’s membership.

Pictured, left to right: Napont, Carew, and Memberto