By Joe Morey
News Editor
A large turnout of Native voters may have made a difference across the state of Wisconsin with well over 20,000 Native voters and the difference between presidential candidates Joe Biden and President Trump only 20,000 statewide.
In Sawyer County, Trump received 5,883 while Biden captured 4,494, a difference of approximately 1,300 votes. In the 2016 election Trump had 5,185 votes while Hilary Clinton had 3,504. The difference then was nearly 1,700. This large increase in democratic votes may be attributed to a large Get Out the Vote Campaign on the LCO Reservation.
LCO Chairman Taylor thanked all those who helped tribal members get to the polls including Rusty Barber, who coordinated the effort. Lonnie Barber, Dana Barber and Mindy Taylor were some of the others, but most certainly not all who helped and Taylor thanked them all.
“Irregardless of the final outcome of this race, we are all neighbors and lived here all our lives together and our hope is that we will get along and go forward together as we always have,” Taylor stated.
“It’s not who you voted for but that you went out and exercised your right to participate. We appreciate everyone who got out and voted,” TGB Member Don Carley added.
TGB Member Glenda Barber said she was really proud of our people in regards to the large turnout of voters. “It shows we can make a difference,” she noted.
Here are vote totals in the townships that span the LCO Reservation.
Bass Lake: Trump 632 to Biden 831 Couderay: Trump 85 to Biden 101 Hayward: Trump 1132 to Biden 933 Hunter: Trump 240 to Biden 217
In the 7th Congressional District, Ho Chunk Tribal Member Tricia Zunker squared off for the second time against incumbent Tom Tiffany who won the special election held in May for the seat once held by Hayward native Sean Duffy. Tiffany won the race and here are the vote totals from Sawyer County and the townships across the reservation. County-wide, Tiffany 5891 to Tricia Zunker 4443.
Bass Lake: Tiffany 641 to Zunker 814 Couderay: Tiffany 86 to Zunker 97 Hayward: Tiffany 1132 to Zunker 920 Hunter: Tiffany 236 to Zunker 219
In the state representative race for the office that covers the reservation, James “Jimmy Boy” Edming defeated democratic challenger Richard Pulcher overall and in Sawyer County 5,374 to 3,585.
Bass Lake: Edming 667 to Pulcher 756 Couderay: Edming 91 to Pulcher 88 Hayward: Edming 1180 to Pulcher 848 Hunter: Edming 251 to Pulcher 200