Green, Tondee keep their jobs
<p>JEROME A. POLLOS/Press Dan Green, a Kootenai County commissioner, receives a hug from his son Brett, 20, as they wait for election results to be posted Tuesday at the Kootenai County Reagan Republicans election party at Fedora's.</p>
Defeating several opponents in Tuesday's primary election, both incumbent Kootenai County commissioners held onto their positions, though one by a fragile margin.
Commissioner Dan Green easily kept his District 3 seat with 5,517 votes, 45 percent of the votes.
Commissioner Todd Tondee, who ran neck and neck with opponent Marc Eberlein all night, secured a win with 4,548 votes, or 37 percent of the vote.
Eberlein, a Post Falls businessman, was right behind with 35 percent, or 4,262 votes.
Before the final results were in early Wednesday morning, Green said he thought the commissioners' conduct in office would land the incumbents on top.
"I think this board of county commissioners has worked hard and earned the confidence of the voters," he said.
Tondee hadn't felt comfortable commenting on a win before the final results were in after midnight.
Eberlein declined to comment late on Tuesday night.
The other District 3 candidates had a distant position behind Green.
Rathdrum Mayor Vic Holmes had netted 2,777 votes, or 22.6 percent of votes, and Hayden activist Larry Spencer had earned 32 percent with 3,948 votes.
Tondee's other challengers had showed less promise. Bruce Noble had won 1,389 votes, or 11 percent of the votes. Tim Herzog was at 1,773 votes and Gerald Arno at 233 votes.
There are no Democrats vying for either commissioner seat. Green and Tondee will run unopposed in the November general election.
Green is in the second year of his first term. Tondee is finishing his second term since first being elected in 2006.