Rose turns back challenges; Layher wins

Incumbent commissioner Larry Rose suffered a scare, but ultimately won Tuesday's primary.

Longtime incumbent county commissioner Larry Rose went to the wire before defeating challenger Jay Brown in Tuesday's primary election, which saw all the incumbents win.

Brown was leading in the commissioner's race until returns from Glenns Ferry, Hammett and King Hill turned the tide and gave Rose a slim 71-vote victory.

In a light voter turnout (only about 30 percent of the registered voters cast ballots), the only real action was on the GOP ballot, where contests for second district county commissioner, sheriff and state senator were up for grabs. The winners go on to the November election.

Rose garnered 952 votes (44 percent) to Brown's 879, while fellow challenger Doug King finished third with 325 votes. There is no Democratic opposition this fall for the post, meaning Rose essentially has been re-elected.

Sheriff Rick Layer turned back a respectable challenge by former deputy Greg Berry 1,506-739. There is no Democrat running for the seat but Layher will be challenged by Bert Landon on the Independent ticket in November.

For the District 22 Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Fred Kennedy, Tim Corder outpolled Marla Lawson 1,100-858, for the right to face Democrat Jim Alexander this fall. Alexander polled 281 votes on the Democratic ballot, where only about 300 people in the county selected that ballot.

In Legislative District 22 state representative position A, Bob M. Works got 258 votes on the Democrat ballot, while incumbent Rich Wills earned 1,745 votes on the Republican ballot.

Bob Stevenson received 248 votes for the Democrat nomination for state representative position B in Legislative District 22, while incumbent Pete Nielsen earned 1,586 votes on the Republican ticket.

Connie Cruser received 264 votes on the Democratic ballot for county commissioner for the third district, while incumbent Calvin Ireland earned 1,594 votes on the Republican ballot for the position.

Mike Crapo, alone on the Republican ballot for U.S. Senate, received 1,937 votes. He has no Democratic opposition this fall.

Democrat Lin Whitworth earned 239 votes for the Second Congressional District, while incumbent Republican Mike Simpson, unopposed in the primary, received 1,900.

George W. Bush, the sole Republican candidate on the ballot, received 1,721 votes Tuesday, against 277 "uncommitted" votes.

In the barely contested Democratic primary, John Kerry received 260 votes to 14 for Dennis Kucinich, 14 uncommitted, 10 for Al Sharpton and 6 for Lyndon LaRouche.