Members of the Shinnecock Nation of New York put Lance Gumbs, a gaming supporter, back on the tribe's board of trustees.

Gumbs wants the tribe to open a casino near its reservation in Long Island. But in the past year, another trustee, Fred Bess, started looking at options closer to New York City.

Bess lost his bid for re-election this week. Gumbs said he expects Bess to continue playing a role in gaming issues.

"We still have a lot of work to do, and we’ll all be working together,” Gumbs told he Southampton Press. “Fred is an integral part of our community. He and I have worked together for the last 20 years on this, and it’s not something he’s going to walk away from, just like I didn’t last year.”

The tribe's bid for federal recognition is expected to be finalized this summer.

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Gumbs returned to Shinnecock Nation leadership role by vote (The Southampton Press 4/7)