Bert Corcoran, a member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe, is running for office in Hill County, Montana.

Corcoran, a Democrat, is the first tribal member to run for county commission, since the early 1980s, The Great Falls Tribune reported. He hopes to unseat incumbent Mike Anderson.

"I'm hoping we get someone in that office who will represent us," state Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy (D), who also serves on the tribal council, told the paper. "But, if my man doesn't get in there, it's going to open the doors for that lawsuit."

The Department of Justice filed lawsuits against four Montana counties where Native Americans were a significant percentage of the population but weren't able to elect candidates of their choice. Native Americans make up about 17 percent of the population in Hill County, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Commission primary in Hill County heats up over racial balance (The Great Falls Tribune 5/31)