Meredith Frailey

Meredith Frailey is a Cherokee Nation politician who served on the Cherokee Nation tribal council from 2003 to 2013.

Education Meredith Frailey graduated from Locust Grove High School and went on to earn her bachelor's degree from Northeastern State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Tulsa College of Law. Tribal Council Frailey was first elected to the Cherokee Nation tribal council in 2003 in the multi-member district 6 alongside incumbent Johnny Keener, and defeating incumbent Stephanie Wickliffe-Shepherd. In 2006, she was elected Speaker of the Tribal Council for a two-year term. After an amendment to election law split multi-member districts, Frailey ran unopposed for the new District 6, Seat 2 in 2007. In 2009, Frailey attended the inauguration of U.S. president Barack Obama. After another round of redistricting, Frailey lost her re-election campaign for the new 15th district to Janees Taylor in 2013. Principal Chief Chad Smith filed a lawsuit on her behalf requesting a runoff between her and Taylor, but the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court ruled against the lawsuit.

In 2021, Frailey ran in the 2021 Cherokee Nation tribal council elections for district 15. She lost the election to Danny Callison. Deputy chief campaigns In 2019, Frailey ran for deputy chief of the Cherokee Nation against Bryan Warner and Linda Sacks. Warner won the general election and avoided a runoff with 58% of the vote.

Frailey ran in the 2023 Cherokee Nation deputy chief election and lost to incumbent deputy chief Bryan Warner.