In no uncertain terms, Daviess County voted Republican in ballots cast during yesterday’s General Election.
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Voters here endorsed Republican candidates for every national and state office on the ballot — President, U.S. Senator, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Attorney General, 6th District Congressman, and 2nd District State Representative (vote counts are listed in the table at left).
Voter turnout was high. Of the 4,996 citizens eligible to cast votes in the county, almost 76% or 3,796 voters participated.
Two contested local elections, however, went decisively Democrat. Incumbent Sheriff Ben Becerra was voted to a third consecutive term in office, defeating Republican challenger Kevin Heldenbrand. Sheriff Becerra won 56.5% of the votes cast yesterday.
Heldenbrand gained 315 more votes than he tallied four years ago in the General Election of 2012. Although Becerra gained 67 more votes than his total in 2012, his margin of victory was less. Four years ago Becerra won by a margin of 879 votes whereas yesterday the deciding margin was 497 votes. In 2012 Becerra won by a 2,186 to 1,307 count.
This sheriff’s race commanded attention. Both candidates previously served two terms as sheriff and were obviously well known. Heldenbrand challenged the competency and integrity of the incumbent but overall election results indicate the majority of voters across much of the county were unmoved. Becerra carried five of the six voting precincts as well as the absentee vote.
Voters are sending a new commissioner to the county courthouse. Republican Wayne Uthe defeated incumbent Democrat Carl Carder by winning a 58.1% majority in District 2. Uthe attracted a total of 1,080 votes compared to Carder’s 776 votes.
This contest was punctuated by Carder’s position on reorganization for countywide government, a position which Uthe, at least publicly, ignored. Any continued push for countywide reorganization is not anticipated.
Uthe pulled 71% of the vote in his hometown of Winston as expected and showed strength in Altamont and in absentee balloting. The only other precinct within District 2 was Gallatin. Carder carried his hometown, but only by a slim 52% majority. The 463 votes Uthe pulled from Gallatin, though less than Carder’s 512 total, cinched Uthe’s election victory.
The remaining two contested county races were not close. Democrat Sally Black easily defeated Republican Ronetta Burton by a 68.8% majority. The decision for public administrator was even more decisive where Republican Kayla Michael defeated Democrat Kathy Kyser with a 73.6% majority.