Meredith Frailey

{{infobox officeholder

|name = Meredith Frailey

|image =

|office = Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilor for the 6th district, Seat 2

|term_start = August 14, 2007

|term_end = August 14, 2013

|predecessor = Position established

|successor = Position disestablished

|office2 = Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilor for the 6th district

|term_start2 = August 14, 2003

|term_end2 = August 14, 2007

|alongside2 = Johnny Keener

|predecessor2 = Stephanie Wickliffe-Shepherd

|successor2 = Multi-member district disestablished

|birth_date =

|birth_place =

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party =

|spouse =

|education = Northeastern State University
University of Tulsa College of Law

}}

Meredith Frailey is a Cherokee Nation politician who served on the Cherokee Nation tribal council from 2003 to 2013.

Education

Meredith Frailey graduated from Locust Grove High School and went on to earn her bachelor's degree from Northeastern State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Tulsa College of Law.{{cite news |title=Cherokee Council and Administration 2003–2007 |url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/news/cherokee-council-and-administration-2003-2007/article_87964b27-9ba9-56a8-82fc-1e57b5d973ed.html |access-date=27 May 2023 |work=Cherokee Phoenix |date=August 8, 2003}}

Tribal Council

Frailey was first elected to the Cherokee Nation tribal council in 2003 in the multi-member district 6 alongside incumbent Johnny Keener, and defeating incumbent Stephanie Wickliffe-Shepherd.{{cite news |last1=Chavez |first1=Will |title=Grayson, Chapman in runoff |url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/news/grayson-chapman-in-runoff/article_d328571c-49f9-529d-813c-5d326d80d53e.html |access-date=27 May 2023 |work=Cherokee Phoenix |date=June 5, 2003}} In 2006, she was elected Speaker of the Tribal Council for a two-year term.{{cite news |last1=Snell |first1=Travis |title=Council weighs by-blood citizenship measure |url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/news/council-weighs-by-blood-citizenship-measure/article_1c1ddd9e-8887-5816-b3d6-a1ef26028cda.html |access-date=27 May 2023 |work=Cherokee Phoenix |date=July 14, 2006}} After an amendment to election law split multi-member districts, Frailey ran unopposed for the new District 6, Seat 2 in 2007.{{cite news |last1=Chavez |first1=Will |title=Smith wins another term as chief |url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/news/smith-wins-another-term-as-chief/article_f2b2bc96-85f4-5ae2-9ddc-dfd3055fdabb.html |access-date=27 May 2023 |work=Cherokee Phoenix |date=July 11, 2007}} In 2009, Frailey attended the inauguration of U.S. president Barack Obama.{{cite news |last1=Murphy |first1=Jami |title=Cherokee officials to attend Obama inauguration |url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/news/cherokee-officials-to-attend-obama-inauguration/article_64dc5351-6130-5e97-99d4-35f23355359b.html |access-date=27 May 2023 |work=Cherokee Phoenix |date=December 31, 2008}} After another round of redistricting, Frailey lost her re-election campaign for the new 15th district to Janees Taylor in 2013.{{cite news |last1=Murphy |first1=Jami |title=Tribal Council election results certified |url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/news/tribal-council-election-results-certified/article_9655a611-88d2-563f-a6b7-58d2e10f232f.html |access-date=27 May 2023 |work=Cherokee Phoenix |date=June 25, 2013}} Principal Chief Chad Smith filed a lawsuit on her behalf requesting a runoff between her and Taylor, but the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court ruled against the lawsuit.{{cite news |last1=Murphy |first1=Jami |title=Frailey wants Dist. 15 election results invalidated |url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/news/frailey-wants-dist-15-election-results-invalidated/article_953a27e2-dbed-5ace-ac38-342fc6c03602.html |access-date=27 May 2023 |work=Cherokee Phoenix |date=July 3, 2013}}{{cite news |last1=Murphy |first1=Jami |title=CN Supreme Court issues decision on Dist. 15 election |url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/news/cn-supreme-court-issues-decision-on-dist-15-election/article_19588e86-678d-5f12-a9a1-f5ac358c6c4a.html |access-date=27 May 2023 |work=Cherokee Phoenix |date=July 12, 2013}}

In 2021, Frailey ran in the 2021 Cherokee Nation tribal council elections for district 15.{{cite news |last1=Hunter |first1=Chad |title=Crowded field in Tribal Council races as filing period ends |url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/news/crowded-field-in-tribal-council-races-as-filing-period-ends/article_5a4d0685-1160-5a30-a551-2fe46d4b7e25.html |access-date=27 May 2023 |work=Cherokee Phoenix |date=February 5, 2021}} She lost the election to Danny Callison.{{cite news |last1=Bark |first1=Lindsey |title=Callison wins Dist. 15 Tribal Council seat |url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/cn_election_2021/callison-wins-dist-15-tribal-council-seat/article_7d2f7bb0-c6d2-11eb-91b7-d3275780e3c3.html |access-date=27 May 2023 |work=Cherokee Phoenix |date=June 6, 2021}}

Deputy chief campaigns

In 2019, Frailey ran for deputy chief of the Cherokee Nation against Bryan Warner and Linda Sacks.{{cite news |last1=Hunter |first1=Chad |title=36 file for Cherokee Nation government seats |url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/news/36-file-for-cherokee-nation-government-seats/article_1096f0cc-c089-56dc-8b4f-7b30ba85ee85.html |access-date=27 May 2023 |work=Cherokee Phoenix |date=February 8, 2019}} Warner won the general election and avoided a runoff with 58% of the vote.{{cite news |last1=Hunter |first1=Chad |title=UPDATED: Warner prevails in deputy chief race |url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/news/updated-warner-prevails-in-deputy-chief-race/article_8935e7a7-f623-5819-93bb-118bc30717d9.html |access-date=27 May 2023 |work=Cherokee Phoenix |date=June 2, 2019}}

Frailey ran in the 2023 Cherokee Nation deputy chief election and lost to incumbent deputy chief Bryan Warner.{{cite news |last1=Hunter |first1=Chad |title=41 file for office in Cherokee Nation |url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/cn_election_2023/41-file-for-office-in-cherokee-nation/article_a765acd4-a8d9-11ed-930b-2754f431d787.html |access-date=27 May 2023 |work=Cherokee Phoenix |date=February 9, 2023}}

Electoral history

{{Election box begin no party no change

|title = 2023 Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Election{{cite news |last1=Rowley |first1=D. Sean |title=Warner re-elected as CN deputy chief |url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/cn_election_2023/warner-re-elected-as-cn-deputy-chief/article_75576838-02af-11ee-860f-2be68458ac11.html |access-date=4 June 2023 |work=Cherokee Phoenix |date=June 4, 2023}}

}}

{{Election box candidate no party no change

|candidate = Bryan Warner

|votes = 10,300

|percentage = 61.54%

}}

{{Election box candidate no party no change

|candidate = David Walkingstick

|votes = 4,901

|percentage = 29.28%

}}

{{Election box candidate no party no change