Vanek victorious in Colfax Mayor three-way School board incumbents hang on

Todd Vanek, 44, appears to be the first new Mayor of Colfax since the first George Bush presidency.

Vanek scored 55 percent of the vote in the three-way race with former mayor Carol Stueckle and write-in candidate Jeff Didier as the three vied to replace 22-year mayor Norma Becker.

Vanek, a manager at Decagon Devices in Pullman, was hesitant to claim victory after Tuesday night’s initial count.

“I’m not Mr. Mayor, yet,” he said. “We have a long way to go and a lot of ballots left to count. Pacing is important.”

“I’m excited for the politics to be over, and the work to start.”

Vanek received 370 election night votes while Didier claimed second place with 227 votes and Stueckle earned 96 votes.

Tuesday night’s initial count included 6,424 of the 18,696 ballots sent to voters throughout Whitman County, a 34 percent return.

County Elections Supervisor Debbie Hooper estimated 2,100 ballots were received in Tuesday’s mail, with another 400 or so coming in from ballot boxes in Colfax and Pullman. Those votes, along with Tuesday’s deadline mail, will be added to the count Thursday.

In the contentious Colfax school board race, the three challenged incumbents all received election night margins that appear insurmountable.

In the seat one race, Laura Johnson booked 60 percent of the vote to Kirby Dailey’s 40 percent. Robert Smith’s 72 percent topped Eric Doering’s 28 percent for the number three seat. Board Chair Brian Becker survived a challenge from Barbara Morgan, 70 percent to 30 percent.

Colfax farmer Tom Kammerzell led Pullman insurance broker Al Sorensen with 55 percent of the vote, 3,051 to 2,474, in the race for District 3 commissioner on the Port of Whitman County’s board of directors.

“I’m glad we’re at this point, but we still have at least 2,500 votes to count,” said Kammerzell Tuesday night.

Jim Kackman was all but certain to unseat Earl Leland from the Colfax City Council, receiving 70 percent of the vote, 456 to 191, in the lone challenge for a council seat.

The three-way Albion mayor race turned into a two-way photo finish, as two-term incumbent Randy Crowner held a one-vote lead over Donald Hammond, 38-37. Jack Hopkins received 10 votes.

At Lamont, car repairman Mike Thomas culled 18 votes to the seven votes cast for Michael Breckenridge, who resigned as mayor in August only to enter this fall’s election campaign.

LaCrosse School District received strong community support for its six-year $2.2 million remodel levy, with 73 percent of the district’s voters casting support votes for the measure.

On the LaCrosse school board, Terry Miller gained 146 votes for the open seat five over Stacy Aune’s 84 votes for a 63 percent lead.

Other tight races were Kurt Kimberling with a 124 to 122 lead over Nikkie Pfaff for Garfield Hospital District commissioner; Rachell Anderson’s 72 votes to Frank Garrett’s 71 votes for the Endicott school board; incumbent Dwight Lust got 74 votes for seat five on the Endicott School board while challenger Nancy Anderson received 67, and Chuck Petras held a 30 to 25 lead over Richard Bridge for Garfield Fire commissioner.

Sara Chase was the lone write-in candidate to post an election night lead, racking up 92 votes to the 72 cast for Paul Fuchs in the race for Tekoa parks commissioner.

Carmento Floyd, wife of WSU President Elson Floyd, received 16 votes in her late write-in campaign to represent Ward 3 on the Pullman city council. Pat Wright won the seat with 382 votes for 96 percent.

Three towns lacked the 60 percent supermajority required to pass property tax levies in initial returns.

Farmington voters rejected funding measures for the second time this year, giving 57 percent approval to the $12,000 street levy, 27 to 20; 59 percent approval to the $15,000 current expense levy, 28 to 19, and 54 percent approval to the $5,000 special equipment fund, 25-21.

Albion’s $1,000 EMS request stood at 57 percent approval, 51 to 38. Oakesdale’s Park and recreation request for $67,000 in maintenance funding was failing at 57 percent, 116 to 87.

In statewide measures, Whitman County voters rejected restrictions on how the legislature may spend funds from toll roads, while supporting background checks and more training on senior care workers, and privatization of liquor sales.

Those results echoed state returns, with 60 percent of Washington voters approving the plan to privatize liquor sales and end the state-run liquor monopoly, which employs about 1,000 people and has stood since Prohibition was repealed.

Costco had spent $22 million in advertizing to support the measure, while liquor wholesalers provided millions in opposition funding.

Whitman County voters also joined with statewide voters to give overwhelming support to amendments to the state constitution that eliminate residency requirements for presidential voters and require annual revenue surpluses be directed into a budget stabilization account.