Staff writer
Marion County residents came out in record numbers Tuesday, and prior to the election with advanced ballots, to cast their votes.
Besides the U.S. Presidential race, there were two Marion County Commission seats up for grabs, a write-in campaign staged by the incumbent sheriff who lost in the primary election, and a multi-million dollar bond issue for a new county jail.
Both incumbents, Dan Holub (R) of commission district 2, and Randy Dallke (R) of commission district 3, retained their seats and were elected to second terms.
Holub received a total of 994 votes, challenger James Herzet, 748.
Dallke won the south end of the county with 968 votes, challenger Aaron Allen garnered 550 votes.
Robert Craft won the sheriff’s race against incumbent Sheriff Lee Becker who appeared to have made a respectable showing with write-in votes. Craft received 3,280 votes. The write-in total was 1,812 but at press time the exact number for Becker was not known.
There will not be a new law enforcement center or a county-wide sales tax increase. A one-cent sales tax increase was proposed to fund a new $8.65 jail and communications center but failed miserably, losing by more than 3 to 1 margin.