FORT DUCHESNE, Uintah County — Members of the Ute Indian Tribe have narrowed the field of contenders for three open seats on their governing Business Committee. About three dozen names appeared on the primary ballot last week, and six people have emerged — two from each of the tribe's bands — to proceed to the April 10 general election.

All three incumbent Business Committee members made it through the primary, but only one obtained more votes than their closest challenger. In addition to the incumbents, candidates now vying for a seat on powerful body include one seasoned political veteran and two men who are newcomers to the political process.

General election candidates include:

Whiteriver Band: Phillip Chimburas with 48 votes; incumbent Smiley Arrowchis, 46 votes.

Uintah Band: Incumbent Maxine Natchess 57 votes; challenger Curtis Cesspooch, a former Business Committee member, 41 votes.

Uncompahgre Band: Steven Cesspooch, 71 votes; incumbent Richard Jenks Jr., 70 votes.

Chimburas and Steven Cesspooch currently work for the Ute Indian Tribe but have not held elected office before. Curtis Cesspooch served two terms on the Business Committee and is an electrician by trade, owning and operating his own business.

The primary election was not without problems. The name of one candidate was left off the Uintah band ballot. Jonas Grant, who has worked for tribe for 30 years, said last Tuesday afternoon when he went to vote he discovered his name missing from the list of nominees. When Grant first reported the omission to tribal election officials he said he was told that there was nothing they could do. He filled out required complaint forms and submitted them, but said he was ignored.

"I never got a return call from anybody. I just heard they were going to proceed with the election ... they said it was just an oversight,' said Grant. Grant is filing civil rights complaints with the Ute Tribe, the U.S. government and the state of Utah. He said he believes that if one of the incumbents' names were omitted from the ballot, the election should have been stopped, the ballots fixed and a new election held.

In other issues surrounding the primary, a legal challenge filed in Ute Tribal Court prior to the March 27 election challenged an election ordinance that amended the tribal constitution. The ordinance, passed in 2003, prevents any elected official from seeking re-election to public office for four years, if they were ousted from their post.

Four years ago Business Committee members Ron Wopsock and Luke Duncan were ejected from office by their four counterparts on the committee. The two men maintained their rapid ouster was the direct result of a lawsuit they filed critical of Bureau of Indian Affairs oversight of tribal funds and of tribal financial advisor John Jurrius.

The amendment to the tribe's constitution that prohibits Wopsock and Duncan from running for election is unconstitutional, according to their attorney, Sandy Hansen.

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