Nine votes determine winner in county treasurer contest

By BRENT SHRUM Western News Editor

Republican challenger Nancy Trotter Sutton edged out Democratic incumbent Geri Miller in Tuesday's race for county treasurer by a margin of 3,576 votes to 3,567.

Miller said Wednesday she would ask for a recount. The nine-vote margin was well within the one-quarter of 1 percent under which state law allows for a recount at no charge to the candidate.

Both candidates acknowledged the possibility that the count could change if any absentee ballots came in on Wednesday with Tuesday's postmark.

"I'm sort of on pins and needles," Sutton said.

Sutton said she stayed up until 4 a.m. Wednesday waiting for the last precincts to be counted.

"And family members have been calling all morning and saying, 'Did you win or lose,' and I don't know," she said.

Miller said she was up until the wee hours watching the returns as well.

"It was right down to the last precinct, and I only took Fortine by one and I needed 11," she said. "It was pretty disheartening."

Miller, who has worked for the county since 1980 and has been treasurer since 1989, said she's ready to go if the recount upholds Sutton's apparent victory.

"If anything, I've got to say I've been here 26 years and I still stand high on my reputation," she said.

Sutton has been the office manager for the Lincoln County superintendent of schools since January 1994. She has also served as the secretary to the Lincoln County Tax Appeal Board since 1996 and has been involved in numerous other local organizations as a board member, secretary or volunteer, including KooteNet Kootenai Senior Citizens Center in Troy and the Montana Association of School Business Officials.

In other county races:

* Commissioner Marianne Roose, a Democrat, held off a challenge from Republican challenger Ginny Emerson, 3,752 to 3,363. Emerson won in six of the county's 14 precincts, including Trego, Yaak, McCormick, Troy Rural, Libby East and Pleasant Valley. Roose has served as commissioner since being appointed in 1997. She was elected to a two-year term in 1998 and to a full six-year term in 2000.

* Sheriff Daryl Anderson, a Democrat, won election to another term, defeating Libby Police Chief Clay Coker 3,816 to 3,355. Coker won in four precincts - Fortine, Trego, Glen Lake/Rexford and Eureka. Anderson has been with the sheriff's office since 1982, holding positions of sergeant, staff sergeant and lieutenant before being elected to his first term as sheriff in 1998. He was re-elected in 2002.

* Democrat Tammy Lauer outpolled Republican Sharon Hicks for clerk and recorder, 3,454 to 3,237. Constitution Party candidate Robert Ferguson drew 439 votes. Hicks won in the Fortine, Trego, Glen Lake/Rexford, Eureka, Yaak and Pleasant Valley precincts. Lauer has worked in financial institutions for 27 years and for the past six years has been a loan officer at Lincoln County Credit Union. Hicks has worked for Lincoln County for 15 years and is currently office administrator for the sheriff's office. The current holder of the clerk and recorder's office is Democrat Coral Cummings, who did not seek re-election but unsuccessfully challenged Republican state Sen. Aubyn Curtiss on Tuesday.

* Gary Hicks held onto his non-partisan seat as the justice of the peace for the southern portion of the county, drawing 3,673 votes to former sheriff's office detective Craig Martin's 2,699. Martin won in two precincts, McCormick and Troy Rural.

* Stormy Langston defeated Delora "Cookie" Haidle for the part-time Eureka-based justice of the peace office, 3,382 to 2,386. The current holder of the office, Terry Utter, did not seek another term.

* County Attorney Bernie Cassidy, Coroner Steve Schnackenberg and Superintendent of Schools Ron Higgins all won re-election unopposed.