Elaine Auger wins race for chief in K'atl'odeeche First Nation, N.W.T., with 60 per cent of votes

K'atl'odeeche First Nation in the N.W.T. has elected Elaine Auger as its new chief. 

Results posted to the First Nation's Facebook page and signed by an electoral officer show Auger won the election with 129 votes, defeating her opponent Ken Norn who had 80 votes. 

Robert Lafleur, who had been nominated by outgoing Chief April Martel, withdrew from the race. 

Auger said she is proud of the work she has done so far – during the campaign, and to get her name on the ballot in the first place. 

"It was such a long haul, it took a lot of work, it took a lot of advocating for myself, advocating for the people, and it feels good to have accomplished all this," she told CBC News. "I am just taking it all in and just looking forward to getting to work." 

Auger said the first point of business will be to get an overview of where the community is at and what its mission and values are. She said she wants to get an idea of what it is that band members want, and said those priorities will guide her work. 

She said she also wants to advocate for youth and to hear from elders too, and campaigned on a promise to bring more transparency to the community's governance. 

"There's just so much that I want to do." 

Auger said she won't be sworn in until a five-day appeal period has passed. If no appeals are filed, she will replace Martel, who has led the community through a flood and wildfires in her six years at the helm.

According to the results, 527 K'atl'odeeche First Nation members were eligible to vote. Less than half of them – 211 – actually did: 130 members voted in person, 81 voted electronically, and no one voted by mail. The 129 ballots cast for Auger means she won the election with 61 per cent of the vote.