Shoshone County Sheriff, Prosecutor Ousted Reynalds, Madsen Will Face Challengers In November; Vergobbi, Tilton Advance In Commissioner Races

Shoshone County residents ousted their two top law enforcement officials this week in tight Democratic primary races.

Chuck Reynalds defeated sheriff Dan Schierman by 17 votes.

Hank Madsen squeaked by prosecutor John Cossel by three votes.

“I was amazed at how close the vote was because we weren’t hearing much about the election,” county Clerk Marcia Wingfield said Wednesday. “It seemed like it wasn’t until the last two weeks before the election that we saw signs going up.”

Madsen, contacted while he was out collecting yard signs, was also surprised by Tuesday’s results.

“I thought either I would lose big or I would win big,” he said.

It was a cliffhanger that left both winners grateful they’d courted voters diligently, even in the remote southern part of the county. With 16 of 19 precincts counted Tuesday evening, Cossel had 50.58 percent of the vote to Madsen’s 49.42 percent. Schierman was ahead with 50.56 percent, compared with Reynalds’ 49.44 percent.

Then, around 10:30 p.m., the ballots arrived at the Wallace courthouse from Avery, Calder and Clarkia. The final tally: Madsen had 1,245 votes to Cossel’s 1,242; and Reynalds had 1,294 votes to Schierman’s 1,277.

“I campaigned hard on the St. Joe River. I was down there three times, and it really paid off,” Reynalds said Wednesday. “The sheriff had not visited that area as he had indicated he would, so the residents felt like they were left out.”

Reynalds said he got a lot of support from Shoshone County officers who wanted a change of guard. An Osburn police officer himself, he’d taken a leave of absence from his other part-time job as a sheriff’s deputy to campaign.

Reynalds said he and Schierman spoke Wednesday and agreed to discuss Schierman’s return to the short-handed department as a deputy for the rest of the year.

Schierman couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon. When Cossel was asked about the election, he replied: “I have no idea what happened. I always expect a close race.”

Madsen said many people wanted a change, and were especially upset with the increase of drug dealers.

“My message is that anybody who is manufacturing methamphetamine and selling that poison to our kids is going to get hammered the first time,” said the Silver Valley native, who is a deputy prosecutor in Kootenai County.

The winners will each face inde pendent challengers in the November election. Tim Castle is running for sheriff, and Val Siegel for prosecutor.

The other two winners in the county’s primary will also face independents in November.

Jim Vergobbi, the incumbent District 1 commissioner who defeated Jack Rupp on Tuesday, will run against Gary Waters.

Jon Cantamessa will challenge incumbent District 3 commissioner Ken Tilton, who defeated Jon Ruggles and Curtis “Blackie” Davis in the primary.

The turnout in Shoshone County was 43 percent, which was 5 percent less than the number who voted in the 1996 presidential primary.

This sidebar appeared with the story: ELECTION The vote

In the sheriff’s race, challenger Chuck Reynalds defeated incumbent Dan Schierman 1,294 to 1,277. In the prosecutor’s race, challenger Hank Madsen beat John Cossel 1,245 votes to 1,242.