Cossairt elected to 1st district county commission seat
Photo by TANNA YEOUMANS Voters fill out their ballots Tuesday at the Boundary County Fairgrounds polling place.
BONNERS FERRY — Republican Wally Cossairt was elected to the 1st District County Commissioner seat in Tuesday’s general election.
Cossairt received 3,079 votes, or 72 percent of votes cast, according to unofficial results posted late Tuesday by the Boundary County Clerk’s Office. The Democratic candidate, Jeannie Robinson, received 1,190 votes, or 28 percent.
Cossairt said he was surprised by the results and pleased with the “great voter turnout,” which was roughly 70 percent of registered voters. He said he looks forward to serving the citizens of Boundary County.
All other Boundary County positions featured candidates who were unopposed for election: 3rd District County Commissioner Dan Dinning, County Clerk Glenda Poston, County Treasurer Susan Larson, County Assessor David Ryals and County Coroner Mick Mellett. All but Mellett are Republicans.
Boundary County voters favored Republican candidates for federal and statewide office, too. For 1st District Congressional Representative, Russ Fulcher received 3,005 votes, or 71.6 percent. Democrat Christina McNeil received 929 votes, or 22.1 percent, with five other candidates splitting the rest.
Brad Little was the overwhelming choice for governor in Boundary County, receiving 3,101 votes, or 72.6 percent. Democratic candidate Paulette Jordan received 1,075 votes, or 25.1 percent.
Boundary County voters also opposed both ballot propositions, with the slot machine/horse racing Proposition 1 failing by a nearly 2-to-1 margin.
There were 2,715 Boundary County voters opposed to Prop 1, or 64 percent. There were 1,524 voters in favor, or 36 percent.
On Proposition 2, which would expand Medicaid eligibility, 2,313 Boundary County voters were opposed, or 54.5 percent. There were 1,935 voters in favor, or 45.5 percent.
Overall, voter turnout was strong for a midterm election, with 4,341 voters going to the polls, the Boundary County Clerk’s office reported. That amount is 70 percent of the county’s 6,230 registered voters.