An effort to oust the highest executive leader of the Omaha Tribe in Nebraska appears to have failed.
According to results shared by the tribe on Thursday, Chairman Jeff Gilpin survived a special recall election. Some 56.1 percent of voters said he should stay in office, outnumbering the 43.9 percent who wanted him gone.
The recall election was announced by the Omaha tribal council on March 15. The notice accused Gilpin of engaging in “Alleged conduct outside constitutional authority, disregard of lawful Tribal Council process, and disruption of official Tribal government business.”
More specifically, the council accused Gilpin of “acting unilaterally and without proper authority.” In a March 30 statement, these tribal leaders said he attempted to “remove various department heads, including the Chief Judge, thereby causing disruption, intimidation, and confusion within Tribal government and Tribal Court operations.”
The March 30 statement included an order from an ongoing lawsuit filed by the six members of the council against the chairman. The tribal court order noted that the council suspended Gilpin for 30 days on March 18 — a period coinciding with the recall election.
The order, which is dated March 23, also stated that Gilpin “apologized” to the court after being asked to explain why he tried to fire the chief judge in what was deemed an “unconstitutional act.”
“On March 20, 2026, a show cause hearing was held with Jeff Gilpin who apologized to the court and expressed a desire to work this out in a manner that reflects the teachings and
ways of the UmoHon people,” the order from Chief Judge Edouardo “Ed” Zendejas stated.
Separately, the council issued statements on March 11, March 18, March 19 and April 9 in connection with the ongoing dispute. The statement last week said that the Omaha senior center was “temporarily secured for less than twelve hours while locks were changed” after “two former staff members” reportedly did not return keys to the facility after losing their jobs.
Gilpin, who took office as chairman of the Omaha Tribe in November 2025, has defended his actions, portraying them as an effort to address corruption. In a video shared on social media on March 27, he claimed he had suspended three other council members.
“Therefore, it is not possible for them to suspend me,” Gilpin said in claiming that subsequent actions of the council were invalid.
Despite the recall going in Gilpin’s favor, the dispute does not appear to be ending soon. According to an Omaha citizen, the tribal council met on Friday and voted to suspend the chairman for another 30 days.
The tribe is based in northeastern Nebraska.
