Bodman, Streeter Lead In Post Falls

FROM FOR THE RECORD (Thursday, November 6, 1997): Correction Name incorrect: The write-in candidate who received 19 votes in the Post Falls mayoral race was Kerri Thoreson. Her name was reported incorrectly in Wednesday’s newspaper.

With about half of the votes counted in the City Council race, Joe Bodman and Karen Streeter are leading the pack of five candidates. Mayor Gus Johnson, who ran unopposed, won the mayoral race.

Streeter and Bodman are virtual opposites in their political style. Streeter is a veteran with more than a decade of experience on the council and has said she thinks things are going pretty well.

Bodman is a vocal critic of City Hall and has said he’s “sick of the crap that goes on over there.”

With absentee ballots counted and one of two precincts reporting, Bodman had 409 votes, or about 24 percent. Streeter trailed just behind with 404 votes, or about 23 percent.

Betty Dougall, a retiree and volunteer for the Post Falls Senior Center, was in third place with 20.35 percent and 356 votes.

Despite a high second-place showing with 28 of the city’s 79 absentee ballots, incumbent Joe Doellefeld was fourth halfway through the count. He had racked up 328 votes for 18.75 percent.

Diane Duncan, a Realtor, was in fifth place with 252 votes, or 14.41 percent.

Gus Johnson’s one competitor, write-in candidate Terri Thoreson had 19 votes compared with Johnson’s 808.

“The turnout seems really good,” said City Clerk Chris Pappas. At the last printout of voter names, about 6,800 voters were registered in Post Falls, she said.

“But we’ve had people register after the printout, and they’ve just been going bonkers (registering) today,” Pappas said Tuesday evening.

Two years ago, 1,287 people - 22 percent of registered voters - showed up for the City Council election, she said.

, DataTimes