PEMBROKE — Incumbent Lumbee Tribal Chairman Harvey Godwin is running on a record he calls one of positive change and achievement in his bid for re-election, while his three challengers say more must be done.
When tribal voters go to the polls Tuesday they will be asked to chose from among four tribal chairman candidates. They are Godwin, Raymond Cummings, the chairman of the county Board of Commissioners, Randy Lynn Lewis and Everton Chavis Jr. The polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Godwin, 64, owner of Two Hawk Employment Services LLC in Lumberton, will be seeking his second three-year term as chairman. The Lumbee tribe’s constitution states a person can serve only two consecutive terms as chairman and then must wait three years before running for the office again.
“My first term was a fix-it term,” he said. “We worked hard to repair relationships with HUD and other federal and state offices to move forward. Now that we’ve regained and built that trust we want to move on for the long term, not the short term.”
He said rebuilding relationships on various levels of government has resulted in positive monetary benefits for the tribe while in office and will continue into the new year.
“The tribe has more money available to it than it has in its history,” he said. “Employees and staff have the same vision, and we want to use that money to build a community that positively affects the Lumbee community and all people.”
He also wants to continue to rebuild trust within the tribal membership.
“Overall the trust from the people has improved compared to the past, but we have to work better to get the information they need out to the people,” he said. “Regaining the trust of the people is paramount.”
Raymond Cummings, a 22-year member of the county board, said he saw a need within the tribe and believes as tribal chairman he can get things done where others haven’t been able to. At the top of his list, if elected, is to provide more housing for members of the tribe.
”A significant portion of our funds are for housing,” he said. “I’m running to build and remodel more homes than they are currently doing. I want to focus on the housing because I grew up in the Pembroke area and I know the value of quality housing.”
Cummings said he wants to push and thereby increase economic development opportunities.
“We have opportunities to pursue more grants than we pursue,” he said “(With grants) we would be able to get a lot of contracts and that would give us more job opportunities. Jobs are the lifeblood for any community. I would like to start as many companies as I can and expand job opportunities to my folks.”
Randy Lynn Lewis, 54, believes he’s the best person to be tribal chairman because he’s in touch with the people of his tribe. The retired business owner said when there is a need he is there.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Florence he has and continues to work to feed people displaced by the storms, he said, as well as to rehabilitate homes.
“I’ve been volunteering for two years since Hurricane Matthew,” Lewis said. “I’ve cooked in the parking lot of Motel 6 in Lumberton (where the displaced were housed). I did that for 61 days.”
He’s done all of this at no cost to the people he’s helped, and the tribal leadership has been absent in instances like this and that’s why he wants to become chairman, he said.
“They do not want to help people,” Lewis said. “People in the tribe, they just don’t want to help.”
Everton Chavis Jr. believes he has the edge over all of his opponents because he’s an outsider.
“This is the first time I’ve run for anything politically at all,” he said. “I’m as green as you can get.”
Chavis, a 59-year-old truck driver, said he wants to make positive change for his tribe.
”While I’m able bodied I want to give back a little bit,” he said. “The way I can do that is if I’m elected as Lumbee chief, and I’ll have some leverage to do some of that.”
He did not go into detail, but Chavis believes he can do better than the previous tribal leaders.
“There are a lot of dissatisfied people out here,” he said. “They are just not satisfied with the way things are going now. I want to do my heart’s work . I went through the process and paid my dues, and if it’s going to be it is and if it ain’t it ain’t.”
Along with the tribal chairman’s race there are seven contested races in various districts that make up Lumbee Tribal Council. Members of the tribe can vote for chairman at any district voting location.
The candidates and voting locations are:
— District 1 candidates: Carvicous Mitchell-Barfield, Audrey Revels Hunt, LaKishia S. Sweat; voting locations: Rowland Police Department, 206 W. Main St., Rowland; Gaddy’s Community Building, Ward Store Road, Fairmont.
— No race in District 2; voting locations: Heritage Haven Apartments, 2268 Marion Stage Road, Fairmont; Southern Spirit Community Center, 1872 Back Swamp Road, Lumberton;
— No race in District 3; voting locations: Lumberton National Guard Armory, 4502 Fayetteville Road, Lumberton; Soaring Eagle Community Building, 442 Norment Road, Lumberton.
— District 4 candidates: Jody Everette Bullard, Kindra D. Locklear, Ted Woodell; voting locations: Lumbee Lodge Community Building, 2715 Philadelphia Road, Pembroke; Red Springs Rescue, 209 W. Fourth Ave., Red Springs;
— District 5 candidates: Robie Joe Goins, Wendy Moore-Graham; voting locations: Cherokee Community Building, 5739 Oxendine School Road, Maxton; Two Streams Community Building, 130 Rosies Drive, Maxton;
— No race in District 6; voting locations: OP Owens Agriculture Center, 455 Caton Road, Lumberton; Indian Education Resource Center, 818 West Third St., Pembroke.
— No race in District 7; voting locations: Pembroke Boys and Girls Club, 120 Youth Drive, Pembroke; Raynham-McDonald Fire Department, 5900 U.S. 301 S., Rowland.
— No race in District 8; voting locations: Union Chapel Community Building, 3588 Evergreen Church Road, Pembroke.
— District 9 candidates: Sheila Beck, Dewey J. McNeill; voting locations: Four Winds Community Building, 1073 Rennert Road, Lumberton.
— District 10 candidates: Janet Locklear, Marshil Locklear; voting locations: Rennert Town Hall, 62 Park St., Rennert.
— No race in District 11; Hawkeye Boys and Girls Club, 3066 Blue Springs Road, Red Springs.
— No race in District 12; voting locations: Queheel Fire Department, 108 E. Rockingham Road, Maxton; Evans Volunteer Fire Department, 3440 Elrod Road, Maxton.
— No race in District 13; voting locations: Cape Fear Family Life Center, 100 Indian Drive, Fayetteville; Lumber Bridge Town Hall, 220 Railroad St., Lumber Bridge.
— District 14 candidates: Terry L. Hunt, Barbara R. Lowery; voting locations: First Nation Boys and Girls Club, 784 Singletary Church Road, Lumberton.
