Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

No surprises in local elections

Amendment 3 took a beating in the Nov. 5, General Election in Nevada County.

Voters turned out to help defeat the measure 2,205-834.

Proposed Act 1, the animal cruelty act, was also soundly defeated in the county and state. Locally the numbers were 1,962-605.

Otherwise, there were no surprises or upsets in the county. In fact, the county went entirely Democratic during the election.

In the race for U.S. Senate, Mark Pryor beat incumbent Tim Hutchinson 1,948-1,132. Pryor unseated Hutchinson in the statewide race as well.

Mike Ross had no trouble with Jay Dickey, as he soundly beat his opponent 2,279-831 in the county. The county victory was echoed throughout the 4th Congressional District as Ross will return to Washington for a second term.

Jimmy Lou Fisher beat Gov. Mike Huckabee locally, 1,733-1,354, but lost the race statewide.

In the race for Lt. Gov. Ron Sheffield edged incumbent Win Rockefeller, 1,592-1,507 in Nevada County, but lost the race overall.

In the Secretary of State's race, Charlie Daniels easily beat Janet Huckabee in the county, 2,270-826, and won the office statewide as well.

Gus Wingfield beat Randy Bynum locally for the state treasurer's job, 2,460-628, and captured the position in the statewide race also.

Jim Wood dispatched Mary June Rebick in the race for state auditor. Locally Wood won 2,166-878.

Turning to the few contested local races, Nevada County Sheriff Steve Otwell had no trouble in defeating his opponent, Mike Mullins, 2,473-603, to remain sheriff for two more years.

There was one contested race for the Prescott City Council, with Larry Baker beating Larry Faulkner713-503.

In the contest for Emmet mayor, Dale Booker beat Chuck Otwell 106-78.

There were two contested races for the Emmet City Council. John R. Clary unseated Wayne Baker106-74, and Billy Joe Arnett held onto his seat by beating Bill Hamilton, 106-71.

In the race for Rosston City Recorder, Brenda Jensen was beaten by Royce Dixon, 58-25.

Proposed Amendment 1 failed, 1,498-1,459, while Amendment 2 was beaten, 1,882-962.

According to Davis Benton, Chairman of the Nevada County Election Commission, there was a 51 percent turnout for the election, with Democratic candidates winning across the county.

Statewide, he said, Democrats won all races except for the governor's and lieutenant governor's races, which were won by the incumbents.

Benton said Nevada County's votes were tabulated and sent in to the state within three hours after the polls closed.

"We had no problems," he said. "A few people went to the wrong place to vote, but that was about it.

"We have two good people working the tabulator (Jim Franks and Karen McLelland). They had everything set up and ready when the first box came in."

Benton said there was heavy turnout in both early and absentee voting in the county, with nearly 300 voting early and more than 200 voting absentee.