'Close' races weren't so close
While the country waits anxiously to see which direction America’s election results tilt, the last unofficial results in Kootenai County eliminated any last-minute surprises here.
When the last batch of results from Tuesday’s election came through at 2:31 a.m. Wednesday from the Kootenai County Elections Office, incumbent Mary Souza’s lead over Democrat Shari Williams for the District 4 Senate seat more than tripled to a 7,854 margin. The incumbent went to bed Tuesday night with a modest 1,845-vote lead and woke up with more than 8,000 new votes in her favor and a 29-point victory.
Souza’s presumed win — the vote count is not yet technically official, though that Kootenai County Elections Office task is nothing more than a formality at this point — comes on the heels of a Republican sweep of contests across the county, from the state Senate to the House to the sheriff’s race.
Even traditionally nonpartisan races like the North Idaho College trustee openings went Republican this year, despite heavy absentee and early voting that signaled the potential for upsets or — at the bare minimum — closer races.
The only race that was statistically still in question before the clock struck midnight Tuesday was NIC Zone 4 trustee position. Greg McKenzie, one of three trustee candidates to receive an endorsement from the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee, went to sleep Tuesday night with a 1,666-vote lead over Dr. Joe Dunlap. By sunrise, that lead had swelled to 5,675, with no looking back.
“I would like to thank everyone who voted for me and supported my candidacy,” McKenzie said. “I also thank Dr. Joe Dunlap for his service and wish him and his family the very best. I aim to be a trustee for our entire community and look forward to connecting with people and hearing your ideas how NIC can best serve you.”
Dunlap said he hopes his successor will continue to keep the trustee position he held nonpartisan for future generations who come through NIC’s doors.
"I wish everyone the very best, including my opponent," he said.
A record 90,519 votes were cast in Kootenai County’s general election, either through absentee voting, early voting or at polling places across the county Tuesday. That amounted to 87.41 percent turnout.
