Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Voters in Eddy County took to the polls Tuesday, June 14, to cast their ballots for local elections and primary races within their county, district and state.
Of the 2,015 eligible voters in Eddy County, 572 cast a ballot in this year’s primary election. Of those, 412 were mail-in ballots, while just 160 were cast in-person on election day.
According to Eddy County Auditor Patty Williams, turnout for this year’s primary was the lowest it’s been in at least a decade. In the two most recent non-presidential primary elections, in 2018 and in 2014, 647 and 738 ballots were cast, respectively.
In 2012, 688 voters turned out in Eddy County. In the 2016 primaries, 660 voters managed to cast a ballot.
The sudden low turnout is also in stark contrast to the most recent primary elections held in Eddy County. In the primary elections of 2020, 766 Eddy County voters cast a ballot, the most since at least 2012.
Williams added that, despite the decreased voter turnout, the number of mail-in ballots remained relatively consistent this year. However, the number of in-person ballots was considerably below normal.
Shown below are the unofficial results from Tuesday’s primary as posted on the North Dakota Secretary of State’s website on Wednesday, June 15.
City Races
New Rockford City
Commission:
(Two seats open)
• James Belquist, 246
• Ryan Hager (write-in), 26
• Calvin Packard (write-in), 3
• Scattered write-ins, 28
Although Ryan Hager didn’t file a petition for re-election, he received the most write-in votes for the open seat. Therefore, he will likely be eligible to serve another 4-year term on the commission.
New Rockford Park Board:
(Three seats open)
• Reed Weisenburger, 267
• Jaclyn Engels, 257
• Elliott Belquist, 254
• Write-ins, 4
Sheyenne Elections:
Robert Hanson was reelected as Mayor.
Elvis Thumb and Jeff Labrensz were elected to the Sheyenne City Council.
Dianne Hanson and Tara Hanson were elected to the Sheyenne Park Board.
Voters said “yes” to continue requiring the city to publish its official meeting minutes in the newspaper.
Once canvassed, all the city elections are final. Elected officials will begin their terms July 1.
County and District
Primary Races
In the battle to become an Eddy County Commissioner, five candidates were vying for four open slots on the general election ballot.
Jamie Allmaras emerged from Tuesday’s primary with an impressive margin of victory, amassing 352 votes, 116 more than second-place finisher Dave Gehrtz, the incumbent, with 236 votes.
Rounding out the top four were Dale Rosenberg with 196, and Jeff Pfau with 153. Finishing fifth, and therefore unable to compete in the general election, was Brady Richter with 144, just nine votes short of Pfau.
Allmaras, Gehrtz, Rosenberg and Pfau will compete for the two open seats in the general election.
Below are the results from the uncontested primary races in Eddy County.
County Sheriff:
• Paul Lies, 521
• Write-ins, 9
State’s Attorney:
• Ashley L. Lies, 476
• Write-ins, 24
County Auditor:
• Patty Williams, 528
• Write-ins, 1
County Treasurer:
• Kathy Anderson, 511
• Write-ins, 4
County Recorder/Clerk of District Court
• Tiffany Harr, 514
• Write-ins, 3
The New Rockford Transcript received 509 votes to continue as Eddy County’s official newspaper.
In the Republican primary race for state senator in District 15, which encompases part of northeastern Eddy County, incumbent Dave Oehlke was fighting off a challenge from Judy Estenson.
Oehlke, however, fell a few hundred votes short of keeping his position, earning 42.74 percent of the vote to Estenson’s 57.22 percent.
Estenson will now move on to face Collette Brown, who ran unopposed in the Democratic-NPL primary, in this November’s general election.
Meanwhile, in the battle for District 15 state representative, three Republicans were vying for two open slots on the general election ballot.
Challenger Kathy Frelich and incumbent Dennis Johnson came out on top with 40.84 percent and 36.26 percent of the vote, respectively, defeating incumbent Greg Westlind, who garnered just 22.74 percent.
Frelich and Johnson will face off against Heather Lawrence-Skadsem, who also ran unopposed in the Democratic-NPL primary, in the general election.
Judge James Hovey received 11,631 votes in an uncontested primary for Judge of the District Court No. 4, Southeast.
Carrington attorney Paul Murphy topped three candidates in the race for Judge of the District Court No. 2, Southeast. Nick D. Thornton was the other candidate who advanced to the general election.
The election results will be certified at the canvassing meeting on Tuesday, June 27 at 9 a.m. The official results will be published here once they are certified.
