Grimmett, Shaw, Cruser win key county races

In unusually heavy voting for an off-year election Elmore County voters tended to favor incumbents and Republicans Tuesday.

All returns were unofficial until the official canvass of ballots next week.

Republican Marsa Grimmett soared past incumbent Democrat Merilee Hiler, who was appointed to fill the term of Gail Best (who retired earlier this year as county clerk), to win election for county clerk by a 3,043-2,430 margin.

Voters split party tickets for county commisioner, with incumbent Democrat Connie Cruser turning back Republican Calvin Ireland's bid to regain the Third District seat he lost to Cruser in the last election. Cruser beat Ireland 3,333-2,129, to become the only Democrat in a contested race to win in Elmore County during Tuesday's balloting.

But in the open commissioner's race for the First District Republican Arlie Shaw cruised to a 3,274-2,161 victory over Democrat Jim Sanders.

For the Position B District 22 House seat incumbent Republican Pete Nielsen defeated Democratic challenger Dawn Best in Elmore County voting 3,071-2,409, and beat the Boise County resident 1,571-1,204 in Boise County, for a final margin of victory of 4,642-3,613 in the two counties that comprise District 22.

Incumbent Republican Rich Wills easily turned back a challenge from Democrat Karen Schindele for the Postion A House seat, 3,333-2,094 in Elmore County and 1,684-1,050 in Boise County, for a final total of 5,017-3,778.

For the state Senate post, incumbent Republican Tim Corder faced little opposition from Democrat Henry Hibbert, running away with that contest 3,673-1,743 in Elmore County and winning 1,910-888 in Boise County, for a 5,583-2,631 total.

All other county races were uncontested. Incumbent Democratic Treasurer Rose Plympton garnered 4,641 votes, Democratic incumbent Assessor Jo Gridley earned 4,459, Republican Jerry Rost won the coroner's post with 4,794 votes, Democratic incumbent Prosecuting Attorney Kristina Schindele received 4,391.

In the state races, Elmore County voters pretty much followed the state trends, with Republican Butch Otter defeating Democrat Jerry Brady by a 3,249-2,142 vote locally.

Elmore County voters liked former lieutenant governer and current governor Republican Jim Risch over Democrat Larry LaRocco by a 3,479-1,919 margin.

For Superintendent of Public Instruction, Republican Tom Luna outpolled Democrat Jana Jones 2,948-2,491 locally, and voters also liked other Republican candidates on the state ballot, Donna Jones defeating Jackie Twilegar 3,442-1,864 for state controller, incumbent Ron Crane handily beating Howard Faux 3,628-1,642 for state treasurer, and incumbent attorney general Lawrence Wasden easily beating Bob Wallace 3,494-1,822 locally. Incumbent Republican Secretary of State Ben Ysursa, running unopposed, received 4,684 votes locally.

At the national level, incumbent Republican Second District Congressman Mike Simpson earned 3,750 of the local vote to 1,589 from Democratic challenger Jim Hansen.

Proposition 1, the public education funding measure, was defeated by voters locally 3,158-2,402, Proposition 2, the "eminent domain" proposal, was defeated 3,980-1,516, voters agreed by a 3,753-1,652 margin to keep the property tax relief measures approved the the legislature this summer (it was only an advisory vote), voters locally were in favor of HJR 2, the anti-gay marriage amendment to the state constitution, 3,612-1,856, and approved SJR 107, defining allocation of funds for the state's Millenium Fund, by a 2,736-2,256 margin.

A total of 5,717 voters cast ballots at the polls in Elmore County Tuesday. As of the cutoff on Oct. 13 for pre-registration at the courthouse there were 9,437 registered voters in the county, but it was not known how many voters registered at the polls. Election officials indicated, however, that "it was a lot," with Mountain Home precincts 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8 running out of voter registration cards at various points during the day, which had to be replenished from the courthouse.