PRIMARY ELECTION

Virgil Wind elected as Chief Executive, Harrington-Wind & Beaulieu advance to General Election

By Vivian LaMoore, Inaajimowin Editor

The Minnesota Chippewa Tribal Primary Elections were held on April 2, 2024. For the Mille Lacs Band, there were two races in this primary: the Office of Chief Executive and the Office of the District I Representative. Longstanding incumbent Chief Executive, Melanie Benjamin, announced earlier this year she is not seeking re-election.

In the Chief Executive primary, Virgil Wind took the lead with 67.44% of the votes, while Samuel Moose followed with 30.64% and Wally St. John trailed with 1.92%. Per the MCT constitution, in the event one candidate receives more than 51% of the vote in the primary election, that candidate will be declared the winner with no need to advance to a general election. Therefore, Wind will assume the Office for Chief Executive beginning July 8, unless sooner seated.

In the Mille Lacs District I Representative primary, Valerie Harrington-Wind and Carolyn Beaulieu received the most votes (with 28.32% and 27.85% respectively) and advance to the General Election. The General Election will take place on June 11, 2024.

Less than 29% of all eligible voters cast a ballot in this election. Election turnout for the Mille Lacs Band comes in at 28.29% voter turnout for Chief Executive. There were 989 ballots cast, including in-person and mail-in absentee ballots, for the Office of Chief Executive with 3,496 eligible voters 18 and over. In this race, all Band citizens ages 18 and up are eligible to vote regardless of where they live.

For the District I Representative race, only Band citizens ages 18 and up who have lived in District I for 30 days or more are eligible to vote for the District I Representative, as well as those who live in the Urban Area but claim District I as their home District. With 2,808 Band members ages 18 and older calling District I their home, 632 actual votes were counted for eligible voters casting a ballot in the District I Representstive race.

While the voter turnout appears to be a low percentage of eligible voters, turnout was still relatively average across the Reservation.

Election results by the numbers

Chief Executive Candidates

Samuel Moose 303

Wally St. John 19

Virgil Wind 667

District I Representative

Valerie Harrington-Wind 179

Megan Ballinger 68

Melissa Boyd 68

Carolyn Beaulieu 176

Curt Kalk 94

Billie Jo Boyd 47