NEAH BAY — Two familiar faces will rejoin the Makah Tribal Council next month.
Former Chairman Ben Johnson Jr. and incumbent Debbie Wachendorf won seats in Wednesday’s tribal election, which was delayed two days due to road-closing mudslides and power outages.
Three other positions on the Tribal Council were not up for election this year.
Johnson, one of two nominees for Position 1, unseated current Chairman Greig Arnold, 162 votes to 89 votes.
“That’s politics,” Arnold said Thursday.
Johnson, who completed a three-year term last December after losing his re-election bid, said he is pleased to rejoin the council.
“I think that there’s a lot of work to be done, and I feel like you have to just get down and solve all of that,” he said.
Wachendorf, 44, who will begin her second three-year term, said she is “kind of surprised” by the large margin of victory.
“I know how hard it is to campaign for this position, because you represent your whole membership,” she said.
