County clerk releases second round of election results

The Tillamook County Clerk released an updated vote count for May 16 special district elections on Thursday, showing that several races had been swayed by the 1,002 votes counted since election day.

In the Tillamook School District, Matthew Petty overcame what looked to be a narrow defeat to pull ahead of challenger Danell Boggs. In the Nestucca Valley School District, the update showed that Diane Boisa had weathered a challenge from Greg Woods after she had appeared on track to lose on election night and that Zachary Best’s margin of victory over Russ Sanders had been shaved to a single vote.

Not in doubt is the fate of the proposed bond for the Nehalem Bay Health District’s new health clinic and pharmacy, which remained on track to pass by a wide margin, having received 70% of votes tallied.

The $10.25 million bond will be used in conjunction with federal funding to build a $12.2 million health center and pharmacy in Wheeler, complete a $2.3 million upgrade to the district’s senior care facility and demolish the Old Wheeler Hospital to make way for workforce housing.

On election night, the closest race was for Tillamook School Board Position 1, where challenger Boggs held a 5-vote lead over incumbent Petty after the initial vote count. However, votes tallied after election day broke hard for Petty and the updated results showed him with a 109-vote advantage.

The race for position 3 on Nestucca Valley’s School Board also had a reversal from election night, when Woods had possessed a 10-percentage point margin over incumber Boisa. The update showed Boisa prevailing by 17 votes.

Justin Aufdermauer remained poised to win his election for Tillamook’s School Board against Heidi Rieger with 57% of the vote, retaining the seat to which he was appointed earlier this year. Incumbents Kris Lachenmeier and Kurt Mizee look ready to retain their seats, having received 59% and 57% of the votes counted in their races, respectively.

In elections for the Neah-Kah-Nie School Board, Marisa Bayouth-Real was still on track to unseat Landon Myers, having received 55% of the vote, Michele Aeder held a large lead in the race to keep her seat against a challenge from Katie Wilkinson, and in a crowded race for Zone 7’s seat, Joseph Carr looked to have secured the victory with a 44% plurality of the vote in the four-way race.

Races for two of Nestucca Valley School District’s seats were still in the balance following the initial results release and one became even closer with Thursday’s update as Best’s lead in the race for position 4 had been cut to a single vote over Sanders.

Meanwhile Wally Nelson’s advantage over Sherry Hartford in the race for position 2 had grown from 20 votes to 65. In the final race for Nestucca School Board, Joseph Boyd was on pace to retain his position, having received 44% of the vote in a three-way race.

Three incumbent members of the board of Tillamook Bay Community College looked set to hold off challenges, with Mary Jones having received 60% of the vote against Jonathan Whittles and Dwaine McClintock, Betsy McMahon having received 70% against Teah Laviolette and Mary Faith Bell receiving 59% in a race against Loten Hooley.

Tillamook County Transportation District’s board will return to full strength in July, following an extended period with two empty board seats. Marni Johnston and Jonathan Bean ran unopposed for two positions, while Jim Heffernan had received 68% of the vote in a race against Laviolette, and Thomas Fiorelli had received 56% in his bid against Mary Leverette.

In two races for seats on the board of the North County Recreation District, Erin Laskey-Wilson looked poised to beat Constance Shimek, having received 58% of the vote, while Mary Gallagher was on track to defeat Laviolette with 84% of votes cast.

Marc Johnson was still on track to defeat Laviolette in a race for a seat on the board of the Nehalem Bay Health District having received 8% of the vote. Shelley Dickson had received 57% of votes cast in the race for a Nestucca Rural Fire Protection District board position against Dwaine McClintock.

As of 5 p.m. on May 18, 7,604 ballots had been counted, accounting for 35.95% of registered voters in the county. Mailed ballots are allowed seven days after election day to arrive at the county clerk’s office for tallying and results must be certified and submitted to the secretary of state’s office by June 12.