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Unofficial Election Day wrap-up |
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Thursday, 13 November 2008 |
By Buck Traxler, I-O Editor
By now everyone knows, or should, the outcome and who the winners and losers were in the Nov. 4 General Election.
Nevertheless, following are some numbers of interest in an election of historic proportion, no matter who you voted for on the presidential side.
Pondera County has 3,863 registered voters and aided by over 1,200 absentee ballots, the ballots cast tallied 2,915 for a voter turnout percentage of 76 percent.
Heart Butte had the lowest voting percentage at 59 percent followed by Dupuyer at 63 percent.
Precinct 35 in Valier had the highest voter turn out with 85 percent while Precinct 19 in Brady was right behind with 82 percent.
All other precincts were between 75 to 79 percent.
In the presidential election, John McCain and Sarah Palin carried the county in six of eight precincts with 1,582 to 1,221. Barack Obama and Joe Biden were winners in Brady and Heart Butte.
In the race for the Senate, in not much of a surprise, incumbent Max Baucus (D) carried all six precincts over Bob Kelleher (R) 2,118-696.
For the House race it was much of the same, popular incumbent Dennis Rehberg (R), won five of six precincts, except Heart Butte and still got more votes than Baucus in defeating John Driscoll (D) 2,149-653.
In state races, the team of Brian Schweitzer-John Bohlinger defeated Roy Brown-Steve Daines 1,831-1,011.
While Brad Johnson (R), Secretary of State won in the county, 1,441 over Linda McCulloch 1,353, he still lost his seat at the Capital.
Other Democrat winners in state races in the county were Steve Bullock over Tim Fox, Attorney General; Monica Lindeen over Duane Grimes for State Auditor; Denise Juneau over Elaine Herman OPI; and Mike McGrath over Ron Waterman for Supreme Court Justice, the latter being non-partisan.
Llew Jones ran unopposed for the House race in District-27, puling down 2,191 votes.
On the local level, Kara Thompson (R), District Clerk of Court and Commissioner Joe Christiaens (D) both ran unopposed and each pulled in over 2,300 votes.
On a tax local issue, voters defeated the Pondera County Conservation District lost a special administrative assessment to generate $19,000 in a vote that wasn’t close, 1,067 no votes to 888 in favor.
The measure lost in five of six precincts. The one place it won was in Heart Butte, 145-105.
The six-mill university levy passed as did the I-155, the measure to expand health coverage (CHIP) for uninsured children.
Finally, CA-44, a measure to allow 25 percent of all state trust fund assets to be invested in private corporate capital stock went down to defeat; 737 in favor and 1,966 against.
If you cast a ballot in the election, whether your favorite candidate won or lost, pat yourself on the back. If you didn’t vote, don’t come to me and complain.
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