Navajo Council Delegate Shepherd concedes the speakership to Bates

Here at Navajo Council’s first day of their five-day Winter Session, where Council adopted their Agenda with a few changes to order of legislation.

The Council is now on Legislation 0005-15 An Action Relating To NAABIK’ IYATI’ And The Navajo Nation Council; Confirming _____________________As Speaker Of The 23rd Navajo Nation Council

CANDIDATES FOR SPEAKER and the number of votes that each candidate received. Based on those votes, the top two candidates are LoRenzo Bates and Alton Shepherd.
Kee Allen Begay 5
Dwight Witherspoon 2
Lorenzo Bates 8
Walter Phelps 2
Alton Shepherd 7

NAVAJO ELECTION OFFICE ANNOUNCES THAT THE TOP TWO ARE COUNCIL DELEGATES LORENZO BATES AND ALTON SHEPHERD. EACH CANDIDATE IS GIVEN FIVE MINUTES FOR THEIR RUN-OFF PRESENTATION. Bates received 12 votes and Shepherd received 12 votes.

SPEAKER PRO TEM KEE ALLEN BEGAY
To break the tie vote, the rules of the Council call for the two candidates to select a number and the one with the highest number becomes speaker.

DELEGATE LEONARD TSOSIE
We shouldn’t leave the choice of our leaders up to chance. We should do it the Navajo way and allow the two candidates to talk it out.

DELEGATE NELSON BEGAYE
I agree with Delegate L.Tsosie and if there is no compromise then the people in the gallery should vote and decide.

DELEGATE DAVID FILFRED
I don’t remember talking about using chance to resolve a tie. We should allow the two candidates to meet and talk.

DELEGATE TOM CHEE
we don’t need to create divisiveness so i feel it would be honorable for the two to talk it out and then we will find out who is the real gentleman.

SPEAKER PRO TEM KEE ALLEN BEGAY
Let us take a recess to allow the two candidates to talk.

DELEGATE JONATHAN NEZ
I would suggest to the two candidates that perhaps they might split the two term for the speaker and one would serve the first year and the second would serve the second year.

DELEGATE ALTON SHEPHERD
i have principles and values and I appreciate your willingness to come together. And I am young and so I am willing to concede in the spirit of unity. And i hope that my decision will be an example to others.

THE PEOPLE IN THE GALLERY AND THE COUNCIL GIVE DELEGATE ALTON SHEPHERD A STANDING OVATION. MANY OF THEM ALL CHEER.

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