The Colorado County Citizen

Barack Obama was elected as the nation’s 44th president. He gave his first speech as President-elect at Chicago’s Grant Park Tuesday night while thousands of supporters cheered him on.

While McCain and running mate Sarah Palin lost the presidential and vice presidential bid nationally, locally they dominated with 5,790 votes to Democrat candidate Barack Obama’s 2,503 votes. Obama’s running mate was Joe Biden.

While the Democratic Party had an overwhelming successful election statewide, the Republican Party kept a stronghold in Colorado County for both national and local races. Of the 13,720 registered voters in the county a total of 8,411 votes were cast. This was a 61 percent turnout for the county. The Republican Party had 2,352 straight ticket votes cast to the Democratic Party’s 1,626 votes.

In Colorado County, the contested race for Colorado County Commissioner, Precinct 1, Republican incumbent Doug Wessels swept the election. Wessels had 1,345 votes compared to Democrat Ken Drlik’s 711 votes.

Results for other uncontested races in the county included county attorney, Ken Sparks with 5,352 votes; sheriff, R.H. “Curly” Wied with 5,608 votes; county tax assessor-collector, Mary Jane Poenitzsch with 5,642 votes; county surveyor, Matthew Loessin with 5,880 votes; Colorado County Commissioner, Pct. 3, Tommy Hahn with 2,038 votes; constable, Pct. 1, Lawrence Berger with 1,394 votes; constable, Pct. 2, Lonnie Hinze with 1,315 votes; constable, Pct. 3, Ivan Menke with 1,499 votes; and constable, Pct. 4, Darrell Stancik with 1,216 votes.

In the Colorado County Groundwater Conservation District election, which took place with the General Election, Thomas Hudec won the Place 2, Pct. 2 Director position with 943 votes compared to opponent Donald Hoeinghaus’ tally of 438.

For the Place 3, Pct. 3 Director spot Whyman Psencik won with 621 votes, followed by opponents Tom Yates with 471 and C.W. Wendt with 451 votes.

Uncontested CCGCD Director races included Place 1/Pct. 1, Betty Schiurring with 1,117 votes; Place 5/Columbus at-large, Marian Schonenberg with 4,264 votes; and Place 7/ Weimar at-large, Scott Brasher with 4,264 votes.

In congressional races, area voters followed the statewide trend in supporting one of the few Republicans elected. Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn won with 4,326,639 or 55 percent of the vote compared to his opponent, Richard Noriega, who had 3,383,890 votes. Locally, Cornyn had 5,384 votes compared to Richard Noriega’s 2,624 votes. Colorado County voters gave Libertarian candidate Yvonne Adams 120 votes and she received 184,729 votes statewide.

District Judges Dwight Peschel (R), 25th Judicial District and W.C. Bud Kirkendall (R), 2nd 25th Judicial District, were both unopposed. Peschel received 5,906 votes while Kirkendall received 5,800 votes.

In the U.S. Representative, District 25 race, incumbent Democrat Lloyd Doggett won with 191,394 votes or 66 percent compared to Republican candidate, George Morovich, who had 88,553 votes. Colorado County voters had supported Morovich with 4,375 votes compared to Doggett’s 3,421. Libertarian candidate Jim Stutsman had 122 votes in Colorado County and 10,831 statewide.

In the State Representative, Dist. 17 race Republican Tim Kleinschmidt won and had also led Colorado County with 4,744 votes compared to 3,187 votes for Democrat candidate Donnie Dippel. Statewide Kleinschmidt had 32,208 votes or 54 percent compared to Dippel’s 25,561 votes. Libertarian candidate Alan W. Duesterhoft had 139 votes local and 1,888 votes statewide.

For the Railroad Commissioner spot incumbent Republican Michael Williams led the polls both statewide and locally with 3,989,705 or 52 percent statewide and 4,706 votes locally compared to Mike Thompson’s 3,401,028 votes statewide and 2,846 votes locally.

In Supreme Court Justice and Appellate Court Judge races, Republicans dominated. The results are as follows:

Chief Justice Supreme Court. Colorado County residents followed the statewide trend reelecting incumbent Republican Wallace B. Jefferson with 4,853 votes in Colorado County and 4,080,012 statewide or 53 percent. Democrat Jim Jordan received 2,721 votes from local residents and 3,369,232 statewide. Libertarian candidate Tom Oxford received 151 votes in Colorado County and 238,391 votes statewide.

Justice, Supreme Court, Place 7. Republican incumbent Dale Wainwright won in both Colorado County and statewide. He received 3,917,286 votes statewide or 51 percent of the vote. Democrat Sam Houston trailed with 2,782 votes locally and 3,519,540 votes statewide. Libertarian candidate David Smith had 168 votes locally and 231,594 votes statewide.

Justice, Supreme Court, Place 8. Republican incumbent Phil Johnson won at both levels with 4,009,063 votes or 52 percent statewide and 4,858 votes locally. Democratic opponent Linda Reyna Yanez had 3,424,159 votes statewide and 2,687 votes locally. Libertarian candidate had Drew Shirley had 153 votes locally and 233,460 statewide.

Criminal Appeals Judge Place 3. Republican incumbent Tom Price won the race locally and statewide with 3,940,954 or 52 percent of the vote and 4,643 votes locally. Democrat candidate Susan Strawn had 3,477,426 votes statewide and 2,854 votes locally. Libertarian candidate Matthew E. Eilers had 215,427 votes statewide and 157 locally.

Criminal Appeals Judge Place 4. Incumbent Paul Womack won locally and statewide with 4,833 local votes 4,035,683 votes or 53 percent across the state. Democratic candidate J.R. Molina trailed with 3,336,944 votes statewide and 2,594 locally. Libertarian David Howard had 249,921 statewide and 180 locally.

Criminal Appeals Judge Place 9. Colorado County voters followed state voting trend, which elected Republican Cathy Cochran by a landslide of 4,709,086 or 82 percent statewide compared to Libertarian opponent William Strange III with 1,041,499 votes or 18 percent. Locally Cochran had 5,532 votes and Strange had 693 votes.

Chief Justice, 14th Court of Appeals. Incumbent Republican Adele Hedges won with 796,114 votes or 51% statewide compared to Democrat Joe Beverly who had 765,987 votes. In Colorado County Hedges also led with 4,795 votes with Beverly trailing at 2,751 votes.

Justice, 14th Court of Appeals Dist. Place 4. Republican incumbent Jeff Brown won with 804,461 votes or 52 percent statewide with Democrat Bert Moser trailing with 754,013 votes. Locally, Brown also won with 4,810 votes to Moser’s 2,688.

Justice, 14th Court of Appeals Dist. P6. Republican incumbent Bill Boyce won with 791,693 votes or 51 percent statewide while Democrat Mary Markantonis had 765,931 votes. In Colorado County Boyce had 4,802 votes and Markantonis had 2,683.

Justice, 14th Court of Appeals District P7. Republican Kem Thompson Frost won by a slim margin of 788,693 votes or 51 percent statewide with Democrat Martin Siegel had 768,515 votes or 49 percent. Locally, Frost led with 4,767 votes and Siegel trailed with 2,740.

Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District P3. Democrat Jim Sharp won with 528,649 votes or 52 percent statewide compared to Republican Ed Hubbard who had 485,993 votes or 48 percent. Locally, Hubbard led with 4,332 votes to Sharp’s 3,285 votes.

Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District P5. Republican Laura Carter Higley won with 800,497 votes statewide or 51 percent and Democrat Leslie C. Taylor had 761,792 votes. Locally, Higley led with 4,767 votes and was trailed by Taylor with 2,730 votes.

For precinct by precinct results of local, state and the presidential election visit www.coloradocountycitizen.com.

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