Osage candidate campsites selected for Election Day

Come Election Day, more than 20 Osage Congressional candidates will erect campsites on the west side of the government campus in Pawhuska to greet fellow Osages who will be casting their ballots.

Bruce Cass, director of the Osage Nation Properties Department, invited all 34 candidates to participate in a May 2 drawing for camp space on the greenery west of the Congressional Chambers and Pawhuska Indian Health Service clinic.

It’s an area where Osages candidates camped out during previous elections as Osage voters came to cast their ballots and await the results after the polls close. This year 22 candidates will occupy campsites, which were selected via a lottery held at the camps location during the June 4 General Election.

“This is the second time that we’ve done this lottery for the campsites,” Cass said. The candidate names were written on pieces of paper, which were then entered into a hopper and were individually drawn by Cass. The candidates or representatives of those who were not present, then approached a map and selected their campsite which includes the permanent arbors with picnic tables and concrete picnic tables in the open.

Candidate Berbon Hamilton’s name was the first one drawn by Cass. Hamilton, who was absent, had a representative attend the drawing to pick a campsite for him. Hamilton will occupy the east arbor closest to the road separating the picnic area from the Congressional chambers, which will be the polling place on June 4.

Hank Hainzinger selected the north arbor for his campsite and Anthony Shackelford selected the south arbor.

Linda Lazelle, whose name was drawn second, selected the open space next to the road. “I think it’s just great, I got the closest one,” she said, adding the space will have easy access for her mother and other elderly relatives who will camp with her on Election Day.

Rose Mary Shaw selected the open campsite immediately right of Hamilton’s. She also praised the site’s location to the road and plans to erect a tent on Election Day.

Cass said a second lottery could be held for unoccupied campsites, adding there are enough sites for the 34 candidates.

The campsites are situated just outside of the 300-foot boundary line per election rules, which prohibits electioneering inside this 360-degree perimeter of the polling place.

To view the candidate camp selections, visit the Osage News Flickr page.

Here is the order in which the candidates or their representatives selected camp sites:

1)    Berbon Hamilton

2)    Linda Lazelle

3)    Jim Ryan

4)    Roscoe Mays

5)    Rose Mary Shaw

6)    Archie Mason

7)    Anthony Shackelford

8)    Hank Hainzinger

9)    Olivia “Libbi” Gray

10)Shannon Edwards

11)Teresa Deroin Hudgins

12)Jerri Jean Branstetter

13)Mark Simms

14)Justin Mays

15)Candy Thomas

16)John Maker

17)Maria Whitehorn

18)Amanda Proctor

19)RJ Walker

20)Nicki Revard Lorenzo

21)Shane Rencountre

22)Becky Johnson