In the Sept. 18 Muscogee Nation primary election, incumbent Adam Jones will take on challenger Galen Cloud for the McIntosh District B seat on the tribe’s National Council.
Jones is currently in his fourth term on the Muscogee National Council, having served since 2008. Cloud is a tribal preservation officer for Thlopthlocco Tribal Town.
The McIntosh District covers McIntosh County and includes the towns of Checotah and Eufaula. With only two candidates running for McIntosh District Seat B in the primary, no general election will be required. The winner of the primary will win the seat.
This year’s Council elections mark the first election cycle since the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed existence of the Muscogee Reservation in July 2020, a decision with ramifications that tribal leaders are working to implement.
Below is a look at the candidates seeking the Tulsa District B seat. The following information was gathered from publicly available sources, and candidates are presented in alphabetical order, with recorded candidate interviews conducted by Mvskoke Media embedded when available as well.
Galen Cloud
Profession: Cloud is a tribal historic preservation officer for the Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, located in Okemah.
Experience: Cloud has no prior political experience.
Platform: During an interview with Mvskoke Media, Cloud voiced his willingness to help elders within the Muscogee Nation find needed resources. Cloud also said that, if elected, he would be willing to work with other Muscogee Nation legislators to support medical marijuana within the nation, which he called a booming business.
Cloud believes that his current work with federal agencies as a tribal historic preservation officer will translate well when collaborating with federal agencies as a councilmember. In an Aug. 19 Facebook post, Cloud set out his goals in regards to the landmark McGirt v. Oklahoma ruling: “expanding the police force, jails, (and) more judges for the case loads.”
Links: Facebook
Adam Jones III (Incumbent)
Profession: Jones is the incumbent McIntosh District Seat B representative and lives in Stidham. He is the owner and operator of Jones Construction.
Experience: Jones is currently in his fourth term on the Muscogee National Council, having been first elected in 2008.
Platform: In a candidate forum conducted over Zoom, Jones gave different recommendations as to how the Muscogee Nation government could expand following the McGirt v. Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling.
“It depends on McGirt. If we truly step into the role of a sovereign nation, we may look at expanding our government in different ways,” Jones said. “I think you enhance our judicial branch and enhance the administration by doing that. We need to look at enhancing our Lighthorse (police department) and probably the responsibility of our National Council members.”
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