Patricia Hoeft, Secretary of Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. Photo courtesy Oneida Nation.

The leader of a village in Wisconsin known for its anti-tribal stances is telling residents not to vote for his rival because the candidate is married to a member of the Oneida Nation.

Hobart Village President Rich Heidel sent a letter to all residents that singled out rival Mike Hoeft. Heidel said Hoeft can't be trusted to represent the village because he's married to Patricia Hoeft, the tribal council secretary.

“Neither I nor you should be fooled or intimidated into thinking that Mike is anything but the spouse of a dedicated tribal official with an agenda that runs deeply counter to the best interests of you as a taxpayer, as a property owner and as a citizen of the village of Hobart," the letter states, a copy of which was posted online by The Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Hoeft is a former reporter for the paper. He said his marriage shouldn't be an issue.

“It doesn’t automatically make me a proxy for a vote for tribal government,” he told the paper.

Hobart has fought the tribe on land-into-trust, taxation, sovereignty and other issues. The village's director of "community development and tribal affairs" is the former leader of an anti-Indian group.

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Hobart president targets board challenger in letter to residents (The Green Bay Press-Gazette 3/28)