For The First Time, Oklahoma’s Big 5 Native Nations Endorse In Governor’s Race

Tribal nations representing hundreds of thousands of Oklahoma’s almost 4 million residents took the unprecedented step of endorsing the Democratic opponent of the state’s governor, a sign of how frayed the relationship between the Native population and the state has become.

The heads of the Cherokee, Muscogee (Creek), Choctaw, Chickasaw and Great Seminole Nations unveiled their endorsement of state Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister, the Democrat challenging Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, at a news conference Tuesday in Oklahoma City. Though Native tribes in the state have been politically active to varying degrees before, this is the first time all of the so-called Five Tribes have jointly endorsed a gubernatorial candidate.

“When it comes to working with the tribal nations in Oklahoma, she understands our sovereignty is not a partisan issue or a threat, but instead is a chance to forge new partnerships while strengthening those that already exist because Oklahomans thrive together when we all work together,” the tribal leaders said in a joint statement.

The five nations that endorsed Hofmeister are the biggest in the state and among the largest in the nation, representing almost 800,000 people across the country. The Cherokees by themselves have more than 400,000 enrolled citizens. And according to the Census Bureau, of Oklahoma’s 3.9 million residents, about 9.7% claim Native ethnicity, and the figure is undoubtedly higher for mixed-race Natives.

Hofmeister, who switched parties to run for governor, has been surprisingly competitive in a state that has turned redder in recent years. Running on a campaign emphasizing her qualities as a unifier, Hofmeister has come out against charter schools and privatizing Oklahoma’s Medicaid program, and supports eliminating the sales tax on groceries.

“I will respect the inherent sovereignty of the tribes and not waste precious tax dollars fighting unwinnable court battles. Let’s stop fighting in court and instead fight for each other,” Hofmeister said at the endorsement news conference.

Hofmeister’s longshot bid has been boosted as a series of scandals have hobbled Stitt.

The governor has been linked to the alleged misuse of state funds to install and operate a chain of restaurants in state parks, a charter school whose founders were later arrested, and a COVID-19 testing center that was slow to test for the omicron variant.

The attention drawn by the scandals have led many Oklahomans to believe corruption is rampant in the state, according to a recent poll.

Stitt, a member of the Cherokee Nation, has long had a contentious relationship with the state’s 39 Native tribes. He sought to renegotiate the state’s agreement with tribes regarding gambling revenue, which led to the tribes taking Oklahoma to federal court, where they won.

But the biggest bone of contention has been over a federal case, McGirt v. Oklahoma. In 2020, the Supreme Court found Congress neglected to formally dissolve the reservations of the major tribes, even though Oklahoma became a state incorporating their land in 1907.

Though the ruling was seen across Indian Country as a rare legal victory for Native sovereignty, it prohibited state prosecution of certain crimes involving Native residents, which Stitt objected to. Filing more cases to get another hearing at the U.S. Supreme Court, this time with a friendlier lineup of justices, Stitt won a reversal of the most significant part of the 2020 ruling.

Polls show the governor’s race narrowing after Stitt started with a large lead. One poll showed Stitt leading by only 3 percentage points in mid-September and another this month gave Hofmeister a 4-point lead. Oklahoma hasn’t had a Democratic governor since Brad Henry held office from 2003 to 2011.

Stitt’s campaign, in a statement, said Stitt is proud to have the endorsement of a state police group “as well as the support of thousands of tribal members across the state, because Gov. Stitt has delivered on his promises to turn deficits into surpluses, to deliver safe communities, to fund teachers and education at historic highs, all while cutting taxes for every Oklahoman.”

Hofmeister has actively courted the tribes in her run. In a Twitter shoutout to National Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, she said she honored the “sovereignty, resilience and immense contributions of Native Americans.”

Neither Stitt’s official governor’s Twitter account nor his campaign account noted the day.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.