Politics
Indian on GOP ticket in Montana won't drop out


A Lakota man on the Republican ticket in Montana says opponents will have to go to court if they want him off the ballot.

David Mihalic, the running mate of governor candidate Pat Davison, says he's a legal resident of the state. But the Political Practices commissioner ruled that he will be ineligible to serve public due to a timing issue.

Mihalic, an Oglala Sioux tribal member, was a former National Park Service superintendent. He resigned last year, saying the Bush administration was trying to force him to approve a land swap benefiting the Eastern Cherokees in North Carolina.

Davison sits on the board of Mountain States Legal Foundation, a group challenging tribal sovereignty and sacred sites. He also gave money to the foundation.

Get the Story:
Mihalic ignores ineligibility ruling (AP 5/26)

Related Stories:
Indian on GOP ticket in Montana ruled ineligible (5/24)
Tribal member on GOP ticket probed over residency (04/07)
Lakota tribal member on GOP ticket in Montana (3/31)
Indian man resigning from Park Service (12/10)
NPS manager to quit over Cherokee swap (10/04)