Stevens County Incumbent Early Leader Adams County Commissioner Keeps Post In A Landslide
Here are election results from counties around Spokane:
Stevens County: In the northern district County Commission race, incumbent Fred Lotze led by a 2-1 ratio over former County Commissioner John Hodde in the Republican primary. One of the two Colville-area residents will face Jeff Johnston, a county Public Works Department employee who was unopposed in the Democratic primary and drew far fewer votes than either Republican.
No results were available in the southern district, where incumbent County Commissioner Fran Bessermin was challenged by Loon Lake resident Tony Delgado for the Republican nomination. They were competing for the right to meet Grant McMullen in the Nov. 5 general election. McMullen was unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Incumbent District Court Judge Pam Payne had a strong lead in a nonpartisan race, followed by attorney Patty St. Clair. Attorney Bob Simeone trailed the field in early returns.
Pend Oreille County: With all precincts counted, Sandi Lewis had 328 votes and Al Earl had 225 in the Democratic primary for the southern commissioner district. The winner will face incumbent Republican Mike Hanson, who had 339 votes with no primary opposition.
Incumbent Democrat Karl McKenzie outpolled Republican challenger Wanda Stenzel 456 to 229 in the northern commissioner district. The two were unopposed in their primaries and will advance to the general election.
Ferry County: Dennis Snook led Lorna Johnson for the Republican nomination in the northern commissioner district with three of eight precincts reporting. Chris Kroupa had a 3-1 lead over Ed Watt for the Democratic nomination.
In the southern district, with two of eight precincts reporting, incumbent Democrat Gary Kohler led fellow Inchelium-area resident Jerry Sullivan. Both Democrats were strongly outpolling Republican David Schumacher, who had no primary opposition.
Whitman County: In the crowded race for Whitman County commissioner, the match between Republican incumbent Jim Potts and challenger Hollis Jamison was too close to call late Tuesday, although Jamison seemed to be holding a slight lead.
With partial results in, Potts’ fellow Republican commissioner, Nora Mae Keifer appeared to be staving off a similar attempt from fellow Republican Richard M. Dougherty, a Pullman city councilman and nurse.
On the Democratic side, Palouse auto parts shop owner Steve McGehee appeared to be beating Pullman real estate agent Roger McKeirnan. The winner of that race will face either Potts or Jamison in November.
In the Democratic race for the seat held by Keifer, Pullman real estate broker Dan Antoni appeared to be losing to fellow Democrat Charlie Russell, a Colton environmental consultant.
Adams County: The gloves-off battle for Adams County commissioner ended with two-term District 1 incumbent Bill Wills beating by a landslide longtime rival Brett Blankenship, a Ritzville wheat farmer. With no Democrat running, the primary effectively decides the race.
In the GOP race for District 2 - the Othello area - retired irrigation system salesman Bill Schlagel survived a strong challenge from three fellow Republicans: retired naval officer James Allcock, noxious weed inspector Bill Morris and retired seed company salesman Lester Clemons.
Schlagel will now face a lone Democratic challenger, Gilbert Ard, in the November election. Schlagel outpolled Ard, a retired school maintenance supervisor, by a ratio of more than 3-1.
, DataTimes