Council member loses run-off

ELMO — Incumbent tribal council member Reuben Mathias’ bid for re-election has ended following his defeat in a run-off primary election held on Nov. 16 that pitted him against challenger Len Two Teeth.

Although results are unofficial, preliminary numbers reflect that Two Teeth has an insurmountable lead of 469 votes to 176, with only 225 absentee or contested ballots remaining to be counted.

The pair of candidates had staged a neck-and-neck finish for second place in the original primary held on Nov. 2, necessitating last weekend’s tiebreaker, with only the two top vote-getters from each district across the Flathead Reservation advancing to the general election for spots on the tribal council.

Once the victory is made official, Two Teeth will likely face a significant hurdle in the Dec. 15 election. Two Teeth’s opponent, Junior Caye, comfortably won the first slot in the Nov. 2 primary, amassing 639 votes - more than Mathias and Two Teeth combined.