The Seneca Party will hold its party caucus on Friday to select the party’s slate of candidates for the upcoming Seneca Nation elections in November.

Seneca Party members can vote in the caucus from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Party members on the Cattaraugus Territory may vote at the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation Volunteer Fire Department on Route 438 in Irving, and members on the Allegany Territory may vote at the Seneca Party headquarters on Broad Street in Salamanca.

A total of 55 candidates for various offices will appear on the caucus ballot, including 19 declared candidates for eight seats on the Seneca Nation Council. The caucus also includes two candidates for president, with current treasurer Matt Pagels and current councillor John Williams Jr. seeking the nation’s highest elected office.

The current President, Rickey Armstrong Sr., is a candidate for treasurer, and will face Sandra Hill on the caucus ballot. The candidates for Seneca Nation Clerk are Shelley Huff, who has held the offices of councillor, clerk and treasurer and has served as a judge in the nation’s Peacemakers Court and Court of Appeals, and Marta Kettle, the current deputy clerk. In addition to the executive and council positions, the caucus ballot also includes candidates for several other Nation offices.

“In a year filled with challenges, most notably the challenges and changes brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, we have a number of strong candidates who are interested in serving the Seneca Nation and helping us fulfill the vision of a better life for all Seneca people,” said Scott Snyder, the nine-term Seneca Party chairman. “Our members will let their voices be heard and will select a slate of candidates they feel best represents the interests of the Seneca people and the ideals of our party.”

More than 1,500 Seneca Party members participated in the caucus votes prior to the Seneca Nation elections in 2016 and 2018.