Jeremy Tunraluk wins NTI presidential election
Arctic Bay-born musician and QIA secretary-treasurer took 515-vote lead over former politician Cathy Towtongie
Jeremy Tunraluk speaks at the Nov. 30 Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. presidential debate in Iqaluit. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)
Jeremy Tunraluk is the new president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. after taking 34 per cent of the votes cast in the organization’s four-way election, according to unofficial results posted on NTI’s website Monday night.
Tunraluk, who was born in Arctic Bay, is the secretary-treasurer for the Qikiqtani Inuit Association as well as a musician.
He took 5,730 votes, a 515-vote lead over second-place Cathy Towtongie’s 5,215 votes. Andrew Nakashuk finished third with 3,628 votes and Nicole Camphaug came in fourth with 2,092 votes.
Tunraluk is set for a four-year term at the helm of the organization responsible for ensuring obligations made to Inuit under the Nunavut Agreement are kept.
Unofficial results for all communities were posted by 12:30 a.m., three hours after the last polling stations closed in the Kitikmeot Region.
Tunraluk beat out three other candidates vying to replace Aluki Kotierk, the outgoing president who didn’t run for a third term. Kotierk, who held the job for the past eight years, was first elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2021.
The other candidates were Rankin Inlet’s Towtongie, who held NTI’s presidential post from 2001 to 2004 and again from 2010 to 2016, when she was defeated by Kotierk.
Nakashuk is from Pangnirtung and serves on the boards of directors of Qulliq Energy Corp. and the Nunavut Planning Commission. Camphaug, the executive assistant to NTI’s CEO, is from Iqaluit.
Voter turnout appeared much higher Monday than in the last presidential election in 2021, when about 17.6 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots.
To boost turnout in this election, NTI offered a $100 voucher for a gift card to Inuit beneficiaries who cast a vote. While NTI has not calculated the total voter turnout for this election, community turnout rates provided by the organization ranged between 53.6 per cent in Kugluktuk to 83.5 per cent in Coral Harbour.
This is a developing story. Nunatsiaq News will have more information on the election results later Tuesday.
Between 53.6 percent and 83.5 percent turn out rate. Wow. Should have been in the 95% in every community.
I think anyone that did not vote should need to explain WHY. the answer might be satisfactory (got sent out on medical). But if anyone that is on Income support could not bother to wander into the polling station to get a free $100 and randomly vote for someone… that is something Jeremy will need to look into.
NTI will have to pay everyone $500 to Vote next time.
What exactly is he going to look for when “looking into” whatever it is you think he is suppose to look at?
Just get real for one second, please.
The thing to look into is why is it that someone that doesn’t work cant go get a free $100. That is a sign of other issues going on in their life and they need help. Where it becomes Jeremy’s problem to deal with is he is now the President of the the Main organization that is supposed to care about that original person.
They need help…. how is Jeremy going to help?
Jeremy is not a mental health worker, or their mommy or daddy. The idea that he can reach out and save these people from their own stupidity is probably why people are so routinely disappointed with their political leaders. Let’s be real.
Only in dictatorial countries you have to explained why you did not vote…..
Can you tell me why you expect me to explain why I didn’t go out and vote?
Free world, don’t vote and get off this page, you don’t vote, you lost your right to complain…..bummer eh? voiceless bugger.
You should check the word complain and question in the dictionary. It looks like you don’t know the difference between the two.
I’m not complaining, I’m asking why More Money wants Inuit that didn’t go vote to explain why we didn’t vote. More Money says it needs to be looked into.
Congrats.
… that paying people to vote raises the voter turnout considerably.
Quality > Quantity
$1,000 cash next time instead of gift card
“Voter participation has given me a strong mandate to move forward with my election platform.”
I tried “auctioning” my vote for free house and electricity.(I forgot Inuit already get that)
Free country food bribe sounds good.
GOOD IDEA🤘😂
I’m left out on free food. Never got free food. Our pantry is empty. Where do you get free food?
Free country food?
Does this mean Baffin Island will now be going after Kivalliq caribou since their herd is near extinction due to over killing?
Boot leg price for Kivalliq Caribou just went up. Big time.
Congrats Jeremy, upigivagit!
It would be great to start restructuring the whole Inuit organizations. They are still structured like negotiation days. We need to make NTI and RIAs into one organization.and have one President and 3 regional VP’s. so people care and see that difference the Inuit organization makes it better for Inuit.
Please consider this Jeremy, let’s make Inuit organization be more efficient.
Congrats is in order here and lets be positive and support this young guy to rebuild NTI into a new direction.
Make Nunavut great again
Nunavut is never gonna be great. All this complaining, N.T.I. against Inuit jobs (mining sector), and all the B.S. we read about.
Nunavut has never been great. Never will. Guaranteed.
It is very gratifying to see a relatively young Inuk seek leadership and take this responsibility on.
I am very relieved that the older, more established candidates were not chosen. They already had their chance.
We do not choose the guy who has directed probably the 2 most troubled organizations in Nunavut; QEC and NPC. So perhaps Inuit are starting to favor performance over popularity and name recognition.
We did not choose the insider, who regardless of her intentions, is already part of the organization and would have carried this bias into office with her.
For a $100 farce of an election, it actually may have worked out pretty good in the end.
Maybe I need to be a singer to win an election?
Jeremy just a nice cute baby face. We have never heard this young man speaking out on issues facing Inuit anywhere. All of a sudden he becomes the president, thanks to Tik Tok lol .
He won’t make any changes as he wants to be a friend. Nothing will change at NTI. Between him and Vice President, they might as well start their own music and call it “Road to nowhere”
Congratulations Jeremy, Upigusukpugut and its a big job. Please keep the staff accountable as well as RIO’s that are supposed to be representing their constituents under Nunavut agreement. Makpinganiarputit kigarturtangnu nunavutmi
“Inuit are struggling day in and day out. We really need to look at how we treat our hunters and food providers,” he said. “Culturally, we really need to step up as NTI and make sure that we’re talking to the people and listening.”
He said one of his first priorities is to visit all of Nunavut’s 25 communities.
“This campaign has truly showed me that Inuit need help.”
Remember, we’ve been taught since childhood, never feed wild animals, cause they’ll become dependent on humans, maybe do the same to people who live off ChildTax and welfare? Is that a start of your help? BControl in the water? More sex Ed in school, shows kids being kids, not being a parents at 12-14…….
Next time they want my vote, they should handout a million.
Ummmm Northerner….. They did….
$1,666,500 to be exact. Not that hard to figure out (16,665 voters X $100)….
So yeah
A million?, it’s actually more than that for this election.
Paying people to vote screams “3rd world banana republic”.