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Rist defeats McNeal; Schroeder, Anderson win
Long-time city councilman Tom Rist edged incumbent mayor Joe B. McNeal in city elections where the results weren't released until nearly 6 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Geoff Schroeder and Russ Anderson won election to the two open city council positions.
When the final returns were in, Rist had garnered 1,368 votes to McNeal's 1,050, in balloting that was considered to be unusually heavy for a "pure" city election in which no other measures or races were on the ballot.
Schroeder received 1,285 votes and Anderson 1,273, easily outdistancing the other candidates. Mitch Prouty finished third in the balloting with 887 votes, followed by Albert Clement with 644 and write-in candidate C.D. Houston with 210.
There were steady lines throughout the day at the Mountain Home Public Library, the only polling site for the elections. The combination of a large voter turnout, the write-in campaign of city council candidate C.D. Houston, and difficulties reconciling the ballot (making sure the number of ballots cast equaled the number of voters) all contributed to the delay in reporting the results. With 5,206 registered voters when the polls opened Tuesday morning, and approximately another 200 who registered during the day at the polls, the final election represented roughly 45 percent of all registered voters, a percentage rarely seen even in presidential general elections.
For the candidates, it was an agonizing night as election parties slowly broke up without any closure one way or the other.
For Rist, who after three terms on the city council was undergoing his fourth election, "there was no question this was physically and mentally, the toughest one," he said. At about 4:40 a.m. Rist went to city hall where the election returns would be officially announced, and found Geoff Schroeder there.
But Rist first heard of his victory from his opponent, incumbent Mayor Joe B. McNeal, who called him on his cell phone to offer his congratulations. McNeal apparently had found out the results from a poll watcher shortly before they were officially phoned in to city hall.
Rist said McNeal was gracious in his congratulations, "but I know he has to be heartbroken." Despite their political differences, both men had professed their respect for the other during the campaign.
For Rist, who had been up all night, the adreneline was still pumping. "I think I'm going to go out and take down some campaign signs," before heading to bed he told the Mountain Home News at about 6:30 a.m. "I'm just numb," he said, adding that he "wouldn't have been elected except for the support -- and prodding -- of my wife," Shirley.
He also thanked all of his supporters and noted, "now the real work starts."
There were few true issues in the mayoral race, with the election essentially boiling down to differing styles of administration.
McNeal, who earlier in his political career had served on the city council for eight years, had won election to the mayor's position -- a lifetime dream -- on his third try four years ago, defeating incumbent Dave Jett, who had served one term after succeeding the late Don Etter, who had served 16 years in office as mayor. In doing so, McNeal became the first African-American in Idaho history to be elected mayor by direct popular vote.
In seeking re-election, McNeal had stressed the economic growth of the community that had occurred during his administration, but his term of office had been marred by constant battling with the city council, which was often at odds with him over his administrative style and decision-making.
With Rist running for mayor, and incumbent councilman Mark Russell opting not to seek re-election, the two city council positions up for election this year were wide open, and eventually five candidates campaigned for the office.
Schroeder was well-known in the community for his volunteer efforts and, until his recent retirement, as the "face" of the Idaho National Guard in the county, where he served many years as the Guard's recruiting officer.
Anderson was a life-long city resident who had extensive experience serving on various city boards.