News

Kjelshus takes District 4 in the primary election race

By Scott Wagar

06/19/2012

During the primary election in Bottineau County, over 2,000 voters in the Sixth District cast their votes for the candidates they want to see go on to the general election in November.

COMMISSIONERS:

In the District 4 Bottineau County Commissioner race, Verdean Kveum (I), Lance Kjelshus and David William Clark ran for the two spots on the November ballot with Kjelshus receiving 204 votes (48.57 percent), Kveum getting 154 votes (36.67 percent) and Clark gaining 61 votes (14.52 percent). With Kjelshus and Kveum receiving the most votes, they will continue on to the general election.

In District 2, one candidate, Jeff Beyer (I) ran on the ticket and received 369 votes and he will move forward to the general election.

DISTRICT:

In the District 6 election, where voters could only vote down party lines, the republicans gained the majority of the votes in Bottineau County. The Republican candidate for the district’s senate seat, Pamela Smith, received 1,237 votes, while the Democratic incumbent, David O’Connell, had 705 votes.

In the District 6 House, voters gave the Republican side 2,045 votes with Myron Hanson receiving 1,035 votes and Dick Anderson receiving 1,010 votes.

The Democrats in the Sixth District obtained 1,119 votes with Bob Hunskor (I) receiving 667 votes and Cindy Shattuck getting 524 votes.

All candidates will move forward in the general election with voters having the ability to cross-over party lines while voting for the candidate they desire elected in November.
 
STATE:

When it came to state held offices in the Sixth District, the Republican party earned the most votes.  

In the governor’s race, voters gave Republican candidates Gov. Jack Dalrymple 1,306 votes, while Democratic candidate, Ryan M. Taylor received 668 votes.

In the state auditor’s race, Robert R. Peterson (R) received 1,262 votes, while Scott Kelsh (D) obtained 627 votes.

In the state treasurer’s race, Kelly Schmidt (R) earned 1,248 votes, while Ross Mushik (D) received 616 votes.  

Adam Hamm (R) received 1,265 votes in the insurance commissioner race, while Tom Potter (D) earned 622 votes.

In the Public Service Commissioner race, voters gave Randy Christmann (R) 1,245 votes while Brad Crabtree (D) obtained 624 votes.

Kenneth Rogers ran unopposed to be director of the Garrison Diversion Conservatory and received 1,647 votes.  

Like district candidates, the top candidate in each party will move on to the general election with voters being able to vote across party lines.

JUDGES:

When it came to judgeships, Daniel Crothers ran unopposed to become the next Supreme Court justice and received 1,016 votes in the Sixth District to move on to the November election.

Two other candidates who ran unopposed for district judgeships with M. Richard Geiger receiving 1,534 votes in District Court No. 6, and John C. McClintock receiving 1,600 votes for District Court No. 7. The two candidates will go on to the general election.

MEASURES:
 
Voters in the Sixth District also voted on four Constitutional Measures.

Measure 1, dealing with allowing state legislators to be appointed to a full-time appointive state office, which was created, or in which compensation was increased, by a legislative assembly during a term a legislator was elected, was approved by the state and Sixth District by 60 percent of the vote.

Measure 2, a constitutional amendment which would abolish property tax in the State of North Dakota, was voted down in the state by 76 percent and the Sixth District by 77 percent.

Measure 3, an amendment concerning religious freedom which deals with individuals’ rights to religious beliefs and how the government may not burden them unless the government has a “compelling interest” in controlling behavior, was voted down in the state by 64 percent of the vote. In the Sixth District, the measure was voted down 61 percent to 31 percent.

Measure 4, deals with the University of North Dakota’s “Fighting Sioux” nickname as a referendum in repealing Senate Bill 2370, which states that UND has to start the process of retiring the college’s nickname and logo, was voted down by the state and Sixth District on a vote of 68 percent to 32 percent.