County waits as write-ins counted
—Photo by KEITH KINNAIRD<br>Democrat Ken Meyers and Republicans Cornel Rasor and Verna Brady count write-in ballots late Tuesday evening at the Bonner County Courthouse as election results trickle in.
It is too early to determine who will win their respective seats in Bonner County races, but it appears Lewis Rich and Todd Crossett will win the two open commission seats.
Rich and Crossett both have healthy leads.
In the District 1 race Crossett is ahead of Bud Mueller, 5,852 to 3,382 votes. In the District 3 race, Rich has 4,261 votes to 2,582 votes held by write-in candidate and incumbent Karl Dye. Independent candidate Wayne Stotts has 2,212 votes.
The votes tallied so far are for 26 of 33 precincts. They do not include the county's largest voting precincts: Kootenai, Humbird and Sandpoint.
The county clerk's race between incumbent Marie Scott and Kathrynn Feist has been neck and neck, with the vote swinging back and forth between them. Currently, Scott leads with 51 votes, 4,786 to 4,735.
Meanwhile, in the assessor's race, Jerry Clemons is in the lead with 4,735 votes to Judie Conlan's 3,872 votes. Independent candidate Carl White has 972 votes.
Magistrate Judge Debra Heise will retain her seat, with 6,809 votes for her and 1,332 against.
On the state level, the race between incumbent Rep. Eric Anderson and Steve Elgar is close, with Anderson leading by 52 votes. Anderson has 3,488 votes to Elgar's 3,436. Anderson took Boundary County.
Rep. George Eskridge is leading opponent Bob Wynhausen 4,271 votes to 2,560.
Incumbent Sen. Shawn Keough is way ahead of Jim Ramsey, 4,786 votes to 2,161 in the District 1 race. Incumbent Sen. Joyce Broadsword also is leading challenger Steve Johnson with 1,755 votes to 953.
Bill Sali led Larry Grant for a congressional seat with 4,676 votes to 4,456.
In the governor's race, Butch Otter was ahead of Jerry Brady by 465 votes, 4,952 to 4,487.
For more details, check out the Bonner County Web site at: http://co.bonner.id.us.