Broadsword, Kelly win commission races

SANDPOINT — Former state Sen. Joyce Broadsword claimed a narrow victory over incumbent District 1 Bonner County Commissioner Cornel Rasor while Cary Kelly defeated incumbent District 3 Commissioner Lewie Rich.

The final precinct — Washington — was tallied at 1:58 a.m.

When the dust settled, Broadsword emerged with 2,857 to Rasor's 2,744 in a contest that had gone back and forth all night.

Kelly edged Rich 2,379 to 2,020. Sage Dixon, a third GOP candidate in the GOP District 3 race, tallied 938 votes. The District 3 race is expected to be decided in the primary because there are no other candidates running.

Broadsword will compete with Steve Johnson, an independent, in the Nov. 6 general election.

Incumbent Republican Sheriff Daryl Wheeler went ahead early and cruised to victory over Ponderay Police officer Tim Fry. Wheeler finished with 3,934 votes to Fry’s 1,427 votes. White supremacist Shaun Winkler, also in the hunt for the GOP nomination for sheriff, had 182 votes.

The winner of the sheriff’s race will go up against former Deputy Rocky Jordan, a Constitution Party candidate.

Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall, who is uncontested in the GOP primary, had 4,126 votes. Marshall faces independents Tevis Hull and Michael Waldrup in the general election.