“If we did not endorse in this race, if we didn’t do everything we can to beat Kevin Stitt, I think that’s malpractice on our part,” said Chuck Hoskin Jr., principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. And as the midterms draw near, the moment has many Indigenous voters wondering if they can be the difference in what has become a surprisingly competitive governor’s race. The Five Tribes’ endorsement of Hofmeister is the first time those nations have ever collectively endorsed a candidate, tribal leadership says. The leaders of the five largest tribes in Oklahoma endorsed Democrat Joy Hofmeister (middle) for governor.
