Bamonte Can’T Write A New Tale As Pend Oreille Sheriff

County races

Pend Oreille County voters slammed the door Tuesday on former longtime Sheriff Tony Bamonte.

Although Bamonte narrowly defeated incumbent Doug Malby in the Democratic primary, Republican newcomer Jerry Weeks breezed past Bamonte in the general election with 61.6 percent of the vote, 2,494 to 1,556.

Incumbent Democratic County Commissioner Joel Jacobsen had a much closer race against Republican challenger Jim Wise, keeping his position with just 51.5 percent of the vote, 2,018 to 1,899.

Republican Fawn Opp had the same percentage of support in her victory over Democrat John Bockemuehl to claim the Superior Court clerk’s position that Winnie Sundseth abandoned earlier this year. The vote was 2,031 to 1,916.

Democratic Auditor Ann Swenson also had a close race against Republican challenger Kathy Crisp, winning with 53 percent, 2,105 to 1,866.

Longtime Democratic Assessor Steve Thompson had little difficulty overpowering Republican challenger William Lands with 69.1 percent support, 2,670 to 1,194.

Democrat Charlotte Demlow won the treasurer’s office being vacated by her boss, Betty Verbrugge, with 61.8 percent support to Republican Paul Murray’s 38.2 percent. The vote was 2,366 to 1,461.

A $2.4 million Cusick School District bond measure was passing with 61.9 percent support, 302-186, but a proposed operating levy for the Sacheen Lake Water and Sewer District was passing with 63.4 percent. The levy vote was 59-34.

Whitman County

In Whitman County, Republican Prosecuting Attorney James Kaufman was narrowly leading Pullman defense attorney Denis Tracy, an Independent.

In the District 3 county commissioner’s race, GOP incumbent Les Wigen, a La Crosse farmer, defeated former Colfax city councilman Tom Kammerzell. Shirley Bafus handily beat Bob Cole of Rosalia for the County Clerk position and voters chose GOP incumbent Mary Crawford for Treasurer over Democrat Delores M. (Dee) Luft.

A county measure to allow the sale of liquor in the unincorporated areas of the county passed, overturning decades of “dry” status.

In Pullman, voters appeared to approve an $11.85 million bond proposal for a new 22-bed hospital. The bond will cost taxpayers $130 per $1,000 assessed valuation.

All outlying area levies were passing at press time, with the exception of Tekoa and Farmington.

Ferry County

Incumbents swept contested local races in Ferry County. Republican Sheriff Pete Warner led the pack with a lopsided margin of more than 2-1 over Democratic challenger Hal Slagle, who accused Warner of misleading voters about his professional law-enforcement experience.

Warner buried Slagle with 71.7 percent of the vote, 1,613 to 636.

Voters didn’t seem to hold a pending drunken-driving charge against outspoken Republican County Commissioner Jim Hall, at least not enough to replace him with equally outspoken Democratic challenger Leo Orestad. The vote was 1,186 to 1,018, 53.8 percent to 46.2 percent.

Democratic Auditor Kelly Leslie walked away from Republican challenger Bill Quaade with 64.5 percent of the vote, 1,462 to 803.

Incumbent District Court Judge Lynda Eaton won re-election with 58 percent of the vote in her nonpartisan race against Deputy Prosecutor James von Sauer, 1,210 to 876.

The only other contested race was for the auditor’s position being vacated by Dorothy Ferguson. Chief Deputy Auditor Clydene Bolinger defeated former hospital administrator Bob Schwartz with 54.3 percent of the vote, 1,213 to 1,022.

A proposal to establish a six-year levy for emergency medical service in Fire Protection District 3 was failing with 49.4 percent of the vote, 170-174.

Lincoln County

In the only contested race in the county, incumbent Republican County Commissioner Ted Hopkins beat back a challenge by former Auditor Larry Lindbloom with 56.6 percent of the vote, 2,177 to 1,673.

Proposals to renew six-year emergency medical service levies in the city of Sprague and Fire District 1 were approved with strong support. The Sprague measure had 85.1 percent support, 148-26, and the Fire District 1 levy had 68.9 percent support, 62-28.

A one-year, $15,000 operating levy for Park and Recreation District 3 passed with 72.3 percent support.

Stevens County

As has become typical in recent elections, the county has so many absentee ballots that the election night results are inconclusive in most cases. Not even polling-booth totals were available late Tuesday.

However, with 16 of 53 precincts counted for a total of about 2,700 votes, it appeared that the races for county commissioner and prosecutor would go to the wire.

In the commissioner’s race, Kettle Falls Clerk-Treasurer Vickie Strong had a 72-vote lead over former Democratic Commissioner Tom McKern. Strong defeated incumbent Commissioner J.D. “Andy” Anderson in the Republican primary, almost four years after Anderson unseated McKern.

Republican Prosecutor Jerry Wetle had only a 131-vote over Democratic challenger Jim Irwin. Incumbent Democratic Auditor Tim Gray had a more comfortable, but not overwhelming, lead over Republican challenger Leonard Carlson. Only incumbent Democratic Sheriff Craig Thayer, who faced both Republican and Reform Party challengers, appeared to have a commanding lead.