Plains Mayor Dan Rowan elected to county commission

Plains Mayor Dan Rowan scored a decisive victory Tuesday night in his campaign for the Sanders County Commission seat in District 1, while John Holland secured the county commission’s District 2 seat.

With all precincts reporting in Sanders County, Rowan had tallied 3,659 votes (59%) to defeat Adam Bache, who had 2,487 votes (40%). Holland, meanwhile, earned 3,338 votes to top Mahlon Lee’s 2,809 tally in district 2. The commissioner elections are non-partisan.

In the race for Sanders County sheriff, retired deputy Shawn Fielders easily defeated Roy Scott. Fielders had 3,614 votes (57%) to Scott’s 2,367 (37%). Write-in candidates earned 385 votes.

Scott, a police officer in Thompson Falls, conceded in a Facebook post Wednesday morning.

“We lost the hard fight,” he wrote. “It has been a long, hard, dirty and disappointing race. Myself and my family are extremely grateful for all the support that we have received throughout this campaign. However, we are glad for this race to be over and we are ready to get back to our lives. Congrats to everyone and good luck.”

Sanders County voters easily approved a local option tax on recreational marijuana sales, with 71% in favor of the ballot measure. However, voters turned down a local tax on medical marijuana by the narrowest of margins: 3,207 against and 3,205 for. That vote is within the margin for a recount, according to the Secretary of State Office.

Republican Rep. Paul Fielder won his re-election bid for his state House seat in District 13, topping Democrat challenger Colleen Hinds.

In Mineral County, Republican Ryan Funke was elected sheriff after earning 1,219 votes (57%), to defeat independent candidate Gretchen Webb. Funk, 43, currently works as deputy sheriff in the county. He lives in St. Regis.

Mineral County voters OK’d a local tax on recreational and medical marijuana sales.

Sanders County results

US Representative 1st Congressional District

JOHN LAMB 453

MONICA TRANEL 1595

RYAN K ZINKE 4499

SUPREME COURT JUSTICE 1

BILL D'ALTON 1118

JIM RICE 4669

SUPREME COURT JUSTICE 2

JAMES BROWN. 3928

INGRID GUSTAFSON 2300

STATE REPRESENTATIVE DST 13

PAUL C FIELDER 2972

COLLEEN HINDS 1015

STATE REPRESENTATIVE DST 14

DENLEY M LOGE 1991

COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 2

JOHN HOLLAND 3338

MAHLON LEE 2809

COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 1 - 2 YR

ADAM BACHE 2487

DAN ROWAN 3659

CLERK RECORDER/TREASURER/SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

KATHLEEN C. FRENCH 1602

NICHOL SCRIBNER 4569

SHERIFF

SHAWN FIELDERS 3614

ROY SCOTT 2367

WRITE-IN 385

CORONER

PAT BARBER 4238

MARTIN SPRING 1594

ATTORNEY/PUB ADMIN

NAOMI R. LEISZ 3559

WRITE-IN 1965

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE

DOUG DRYDEN 4430

CARL E MARQUARDT 1500

GREEN MOUNTAIN SOIL AND CONSERVATION DISTRICT 4 YR

MELINDA FERRELL 1084

NANCY S. MEHAFFIE 1344

SEAN MORAN 1100

WILLIAM D NAEGELI 1786

KEREN C RASH 1156

MARY REED 1621

GREEN MOUNTAIN SOIL AND CONSERVATION DISTRICT 2 YR

EDWARD "BUD" SCULLY 1434

KRISTEN WING 1751

C-48 (Protect electronic data and communications from unreasonable search and seizure)

YES 5095

NO 1113

REFERENDUM-131 (Adopting the born-alive infant protection act)

YES 3953

NO 2344

NON-MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXCISE TAX

FOR 4596

AGAINST 1840

MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXCISE TAX

FOR 3205

AGAINST 3207

ARLEE SCHOOL DISTRICT-GENERAL BOND OBLIGATION

YES 6

NO 2

ARLEE SCHOOL DISTRICT-IMPACT AND REVENUE BOND

YES 6

NO 2