A new look for county board

COEUR d'ALENE - Kootenai County Clerk Jim Brannon won a decisive victory Tuesday night, capturing nearly 65 percent of the vote, according to final totals released by his office.

Brannon received 7,304 votes, and Republican primary opponent Don Pischner got 3,976 votes.

"Clearly, there are two factions in the Republican Party,?? Pischner said Wednesday. "One faction was able to get out the vote and one was not."

Pischner thanked his supporters.

"I'm proud for that support I got," Pischner said. "I congratulate Jim Brannon."

Brannon didn't return calls seeking comment.

Democratic county clerk candidate Larry Belmont said getting the vote out will make the difference in the Nov. 4 general election.

"Too many people stayed home (Tuesday)," said Belmont, who easily won his primary race Tuesday. "When just a few people set a sense of direction for a community you put too much power in the hands of too few people."

He believes there are a lot of people in the county who are Democrats but just don't vote.

"What I'm going to be looking at is, why not?" he said.

Marc Eberlein defeated incumbent 1st District County Commissioner Todd Tondee. Eberlein accumulated 6,038 votes and nearly 52 percent of the total to Tondee's 3,813 votes and Tim Herzog's 1,767 votes.

Eberlein said a series of county employee payouts made the difference in the race.

"It was quite damaging" to the incumbent, Eberlein said Wednesday.

He said the Unified Land Use Code troubles also hurt Tondee.

He said he also benefited from a base of support that he began building up when he ran last time. In 2012, Eberlein finished second with 4,262 votes to Tondee's 4,548.

Tuesday's primary came down to a division of Republican factions, said Tondee.

"It's the right side and the moderate, and the right side won," Tondee said. "They did a good job of getting their people out."

He said he would work hard through the remainder of his term.

"I'm very honored to have served the citizens, to have the time I've been in here," Tondee said. "It's been a privilege and an honor."

Democratic county commissioner candidate Bruce Noble said his chances of winning the general election are best with Eberlein as his Republican opponent.

"I am the candidate who has a defined goal to improve management and leadership at the county level," said Noble, a business owner and professional engineer. "He just says he's going to do a better job of management."

Noble supports and would work for a switch in the style of county government to one with a hired full-time manager and part-time board of commissioners.

He said Eberlein will lean on his Republican political credentials to win, and will just promise to "apply conservative principles to government and make it better."

In the Republican primary to replace withdrawn 2nd District incumbent Jai Nelson, David Stewart ran unopposed and received 9,747 votes.

Incumbent County Coroner Deb Wilkey lost to challenger Warren Keene on Tuesday. Keene got 6,388 votes and 58 percent to 4,579 votes for Wilkey.

Wilkey said she has enjoyed serving in the office.

"It's something that comes very natural," she said. "I think I fulfill the requirements of the job."

She said she has a lot of work to do through the end of the year, and will continue to give the office everything she can.

She has no plans yet after her term ends.

Keene couldn't immediately be reached for comment. He has no Democratic Party opponent in the upcoming general election.

Steven D. Matheson won the Republican primary for county treasurer, picking up 5,765 votes and 52 percent of the vote to opponent Laurie Thomas' 5,274 votes.

Matheson said he believed staying on message and avoiding alignment with any particular political faction of the Republican Party helped him get over the top.

"I ran on qualifications, I believe I was elected on qualifications," Matheson said. "Those who helped me out also felt qualifications are important."

Matheson, a county resident for five years, said he thought Thomas ran a good, clean campaign.

Thomas, the chief deputy treasurer for 13 years, said she was disappointed there wasn't better voter turnout.

"We have operated your treasurer's office according to Idaho law and the standards we have been trained to," Thomas said. "We have been a benchmark for counties across the state."

She said she is proud of the level of service the office has provided, and of the "phenomenal" staff in the office.

"I'm proud of that reputation," Thomas said.

Janet Callen won the Democratic Party primary, getting 1,761 votes to opponent Gordy Ormesher's 227.

County Assessor Mike McDowell steamrolled his Republican challenger Patrick Galles, accumulating 9,680 votes and nearly 85 percent compared with Galles' 1,745 votes.

"I feel very grateful that I got the level of support that I did," McDowell said.

He views his victory as a "vote of confidence" in his employees and the work they do.