Unofficial Flathead Results

Tester Takes Close Race in Flathead, County Commsioner Race is Photo Finish

By Kate Downen, 6-06-06

Unofficial results show Jon Tester as the winner in Flathead County for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate with 2,204 votes. Tuesday night, 93 precincts were in and Tester had 51 percent of the vote. John Morrison was close, perhaps closer than he was in any other major metro county, with 2,007 votes or 46.5 percent. On the state level, Tester won with 53,562 votes compared to Morrison's 32,238.

Sen. Conrad Burns took the Republican nomination with 6,666 votes, or 56.6 percent. State Sen. Bob Keenan took 38 percent of the vote with 4,459 votes. Burns swept the statewide vote with 59,370 votes compared to Keenan's 19,031.

Ethics issues may have been behind the Democratic landslide victory for Tester, but Republicans seem confident in Burns regardless of his connections to lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

In the hotly contested race for Sherriff, Republican Mike Meehan won with 6,759 votes over John Weaver who got 3,516 votes. There were no Democrats nominated.

In District 4 State Senate Democratic primary, Gerald Reckin led with 568 votes, or 76.65 percent of the vote over Maxwell G. Battle Jr., who had 172 votes or 23.1 percent. The winner will face unopposed Republican incumbent Greg Barkus in November.

In a neck-and-neck race for County Commission, Dale Lauman won with 2,508 votes or 22.15 percent. Gerry Banzet was close behind with 2,131 voes and 18.82 percent and Pam Holmquist followed with 18.51 percent and 2,096 votes. Lauman will face Democratic winner Mark Crowley, who took 54.45 percent of the vote with 2,062 votes.

Flathead voters voted against the Mosquito District Levy and against a Juvenile Detention Center Levy. The non-binding Roadless Rule 'poll' issue on Tuesday's ballots received 9,994 votes in favor of managing forests with inclusion of motorized vehicles and 5,784 in favor of managing forests without inclusion of motorized vehicles.

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