Menu
Grimmett edges Bate; Shaw, Rost win easily
Despite a number of contested races on the ballot in Tuesday's primary election, voting was relatively light, resulting in a razor-thin race for the Republican nomination for county clerk in Elmore County.
Republicans Marianne Bate and Marsa Grimmett battled down to the wire with Grimmett winning 773-758 for the right to challenge Democrat Merrilee Hiler this fall. Incumbent Democrat Gail Best is retiring this year. Unopposed on the Democratic ballot, Hiler received 430 votes.
Arlie Shaw defeated Janet Langfitt 940-569 on the Republican ballot for the right to challenge Democrat Jim Sanders for the First District County Commissioners seat. Sanders received 439 votes on the Democratic ballot. That position is open following the decision by incumbent Democrat Mary Egusquiza not to seek re-election.
The county coroner's race was crowded this year on the Republican ballot, with three candidates running, but newcomer Jerry Rost ran away from the field with1,115 votes to defeat incumbent Marla Spence who polled 230 votes, and challenger Paul Reyes, who earned 167 votes. Rost will face Democrat John Watson this fall. Watson received 367 votes on the Democratic ballot. Spence had been under a cloud going into the election due to a misdemeanor charge of misuse of public equipment that she is facing. That case has not gone to trial.
For the Third District Commissioner's seat incumbent Democrat Connie Cruser received 471 votes, and will face this fall the man she beat in the last election, Republican Calvin Ireland, who received 1,023 votes. Niether faced challenges in the primary.
Unopposed on the primary ballot were incumbent County Treasurer Rose Plympton (Democrat), who received 465 votes, County Prosecutor Kristina Schindele (Democrat), who garnered 405 votes, and assessor candidate Jo Gridley (Democrat), who had 452 votes.
The various races for legislative office for District 22, which includes Elmore and Boise counties, will have some interesting challenges in the fall, but not on the primary ballot, where the candidates were all unopposed on their respective ballots. Democrat Henry Hibbert received 400 votes while incumbent Republican Tim Corder received 1,262 votes for the District 22 senate seat. Democrat Karen Schindele, the mother of the county prosecutor, received 433 votes and incumbent Republican Rich Wills earned 1,319 votes for the Position A representative seat. Democrat Dawn Best, the daughter of the county clerk, received 444 votes and will challenge incumbent Republican Pete Nielsen for the Position B representative post from District 22 this fall. Nielsen garnered 1,184 votes.
At the state level the most crowded race of all was for the Republican nomination for governor.
Current First District Congressman C.L. Butch Otter won both the statewide race and in Elmore County, receiving 1,146 votes locally, while Jack Alan Johnson garnered 88 votes here, Walt Bayes had 51 and Dan Adamson received 284. On the Democratic ballot, Jerry Bradyreceived 362 votes locally. Lee Chaney, Sr., received 92.
Jim Risch, the Republican lieutentant governor who will finish Gov. Dirk Kempthorne's term this year after Kempthorne is approved to become the new Secretary of the Interior, is seeking to return as lieutenant governor this fall. He was unchallenged on the Republican ballot and received 1,346 votes locally. He will be challenged by Democrat Larry LaRocco who defeated Dan Romero in the primary for the right to face him this fall. Locally, Laroccos received 301 votes to Romero's 159.
Superintendent of Public Instruction was as crowded as the governor's race, following the decision by incumbent Democrat Marylin Howard to retire.
On the Democratic ballot Jana Jones defeated Bert Marley by a 280-166 margin locally, while on the Republican ballot Steve Smylie earned 671 votes locally to Tom Luna's 555 and Steve Casey's 221.
The attorney general's race saw incumbent Republican Lawrence G. Wasden being challenged by Myron Dan Gabbert in the primary. Locally, Wasden, who won the statewide vote, defeated Gabbert 994-347. Democrat Robert A. Wallace, who earned 409 votes locally, will face the winner this fall.
For state controller, Republicans Royce C. Chigbrow and Donna Jones batted it out in the primary for the right to face Democrat Jackie Groves Twilegar this fall. Locally, Jones received 875 votes, Chigbrow 458 votes, and Twilegar 418 votes.
For state treasurer, Democrat Jill Ellsworth and incumbent Republican Ron Crane were unopposed on the primary ballot. Ellsworth received 419 votes in Elmore County and Crane received 1,269.
Secretary of State Ben Ysursa (Republican), unchallenged this fall, garnered 1,366 votes locally.
At the national level, Democrat Jim Hansen received 350 votes locally as he prepares to challenge incumbent Republican Mike Simpson this fall for the post as congressman from the Second Congressional District. Locally, Simpson earned 1,383 votes.
There were several non-partisan judicial positions on the ballot in which voters are asked whether or not to retain sitting judges, all of whom were re-elected.