Against the odds, Spirit Lake mayor wins second term

For the first time in at least 25 years, Spirit Lake residents have re-elected their mayor for a second term.

Roxy Martin garnered 52 percent of the vote, 1 percent more than required to avoid a runoff election.

Her challengers, Monty Bullock, Councilman Joe Keene and Gordon Durham, received support from 16, 13 and 13 percent of voters, respectively.

How did Martin manage to break the cycle?

“I didn’t have any axes to grind,” she said Wednesday.

When pressed further, she added: “I guess I’ve been here longer than any of the candidates and that has something to do with it.”

The 42-year Spirit Lake resident doesn’t like people “making a laughing stock out of our city,” Martin said. “I take it personally.”

In her second term, Martin aims to oversee the completion of the state Highway 41 project that would put a turn lane through Spirit Lake, an endeavor for which she helped secure a grant. She also wants to acquire more land for the city to irrigate with treated wastewater and work on revitalizing downtown in time for the city’s centennial in two years.

“I haven’t even scratched the surface in four years,” Martin said.

In the council race, newcomers Bill Ericson and Steve Gaddum collected the most votes, replacing councilmen Gary Ventress, who lost the election, and Keene, who sought the mayor’s seat.

Here’s how races went around North Idaho.

Coeur d’Alene

Mayor – Sandi Bloem 4,211; Joseph Kunka 1,318; City Council – Seat 2: Mike Kennedy 2,726; Dan Yake 1,343; Mary Souza 1,507; Seat 4: Woody McEvers 3,211; Steven Foxx 1,924; Seat 6: Deanna Goodlander 2,897; Susan Snedaker 2,398.

Post Falls

Mayor – Clay Larkin 1,228; City Council – Seat 2: Ron Jacobson 1,182; Seat 4: Joe Bodman 559; Jackie McAvoy 504; Joe Doellefeld 262.

Rathdrum

City Council (top two win) – Kenneth Hayes 255; Jesse Ojala 199; Fred Meckel 183; Dan Tesulov 154; Carmon O’Donnell 127.

Hayden

City Council – Seat 2: Anson Gable 819; Seat 4: Jeri DeLange 826.

Sandpoint

City Council (top three win) – Steve Lockwood 835; Helen Newton 777; Cindy Elliot 454; Francis Ogilvie 434.

Northern Lakes Fire District

Commissioners – District 1: Larry Clark 959; Alan Washburn 914; Richard Halligan 498; Edward Campbell 233; District 3: Dennis Amende 1,516; F. Dean McMillen 981; District 5: Terry Thompson 1,490; Lori Churchill 1,009.

Athol

City Council – Seat 2 (two-year term): Shirley Hyke 95; Seat 3 (four-year term): Mark Dane 61; Daniel Holmes 57; Seat 4 (four-year term): Robert Rickel 96.

Spirit Lake

Mayor – Roxy Martin 202; Monty Bullock 64; Joe Keene 63; Gordon Durham 51; City Council (top two win) – Bill Ericson 224; Steve Gaddum 170; Gary Ventress 152; Amanda Henderson 121.

Dover

City Council (top two win) – Maggie Becker 26; Louis Collins 20.

Ponderay

City Council (top two win) – Steve Geiger 39; Sherry Blood 34; Larry Hanna 21; Marc Woller 21; Daniel Holecek 18.

Clark Fork

Mayor – Thomas Shields 74 ; Linda V. Reed 23; City Council (top two win) – Russell Schenck 67; Brian Lee Cantrell 55; Marleen Syth 44; James Junget 23.

Hayden Lake

Mayor – Bob Prince 94; City Council (top four win) – Todd Walker 91; Bob Grant 84; Evelyn Meany 93; Jim Riley 89.

Dalton Gardens

City Council (top two win) – Joe Myers 351; Ron Koontz 348; Jim Howard 193; Robert Wright 103.

Harrison

Mayor – Ronald JeanBlanc 42; Josephine Prophet 85; City Council (top three win) – William Butler 85; Mark Wagner 84; Terry Oliver 67 ; Linda Brownson 63; Valerie Harris 51.

Kellogg

Mayor – Mac Pooler 309; City Council – Seat 1: Ken Schueman 237; Eileen Wilhelm 121; Seat 2: Todd Goodson 223; Neil McAvoy 140; Seat 4: Dennis Norris 322; Seat 6; Mark Aamodt 178; Joan Block 133; Dawn Dixon 34; Aldene “Chuckie” Bourgard 18.

Wallace

Mayor – Ronald Garitone 166; Gerry Waters 34; City Council – Seat 2: James Winterset 174; Seat 4: Lynn Mogensen 185; Seat 6: John Hansen 120; Ted Pettis 82.

Pinehurst

City Council (top two win) – Mitch Alexander 62; Dave Lambert 55.

St. Maries

Mayor – Robert Allen 146; City Council (top three win) – Jerry Wicks 162; Keith Nance 130; Matthew Blood 119; Richard Griffin 118.

Plummer

Mayor – Carl Richel 70; Michael Meagher 53; City Council (top three win) – Tim Stockdale 95; Terry Allen 91; Jeanette Taylor 14.