Close to 300 unaffiliateds vote

    Unaffiliated voters in Colorado were able to participate in the June 26 primary election for the first time ever.
    In Phillips County, 299 unaffiliateds took advantage of that opportunity, representing close to 20 percent of the total vote in the county.
    If they didn’t specify which ballot they wanted, unaffiliated voters were mailed both Republican and Democratic primary ballots. However, they could only vote on one, or both were nullified.
    Of the 299 unaffiliated ballots, 266 voted in the Republican primary and 33 in the Democratic, according to Phillips County Clerk and Recorder Beth Zilla.
    In addition to the 299 unaffiliated ballots, the county totals showed 1,058 registered Republicans and 162 Democrats cast ballots in the election. Thirteen ballots were rejected, for a total ballot count of 1,506.
    
Several statewide races seen in both parties
    Statewide, Republicans had the choice of four candidates for governor and three for state treasurer. Democratic races saw two candidates for U.S. Congress from District 4, four for governor, two for state treasurer and two for attorney general.
    Walker Stapleton won the Republican gubernatorial primary with 47.7 percent of the statewide vote. Victor Mitchell nabbed 30.14 percent, Greg Lopez 13.18 and Doug Robinson 8.99.
    Phillips County Republicans favored Mitchell with 40.93 percent of the vote, followed by Stapleton with 37.39, Lopez 13.04 and Robinson 8.64.
    Stapleton will face Democratic winner Jared Polis in the November general election to determine the governor.
    Polis garnered 44.43 percent of the vote statewide, followed by Cary Kennedy with 24.72 percent, Mike Johnston 23.57 and Donna Lynne 7.28.
    Phillips County Democrats also favored Polis but with a smaller margin. He gained 36.51 percent of the Phillips County vote, followed by Johnston with 33.86, Kennedy 17.99 and Lynne 11.64.
    Brian Watson gained the Republican nod for state treasurer, and voters in this county favored him, as well.
    Statewide, Watson took 37.97 percent of the vote, followed by Justin Everett with 36.92 and Polly Lawrence 25.12. Phillips County Republicans gave Watson 41.64 percent of the vote, with 37 percent to Everett and 21.36 to Lawrence.
    Dave Young won the Democratic primary for state treasurer, to face Watson in November.
    Young claimed 67.52 percent of the statewide vote to Vernard Douthit’s 32.48. Phillips County Democrats gave 72.96 percent of their vote to Young, with 27.04 to Douthit.
    Democrat Karen McCormick defeated Chase Kohne 64.63-35.37 percent for the chance to face Republican incumbent Ken Buck in November for U.S. Congress from the 4th Congressional District.
    Phillips County Democrats favored McCormick over Kohne 68.67-31.33 percent.
    In a Democratic race for attorney general that was too close to call on election night, Phil Weiser eventually claimed 50.43 percent of the vote to Joe Salazar’s 49.57 percent to win that race. In November, Weiser will face Republican George Brauchler, who was uncontested in the primary.
    Phillips County Democrats showed a close count in the attorney general race; however, this county favored Salazar 52.84-47.16 percent over Weiser.
    Phillips County Republicans had contested county races for District 1 commissioner, treasurer and sheriff. As announced in last week’s Enterprise, winners of those Republican races were Terry Hofmeister for commissioner, Sharon Michael for treasurer and Thom Elliott for sheriff. There are no Democratic challengers for those offices.
    Other Phillips County Republicans uncontested in the primary and facing no Democratic challengers in November are Doug Kamery for county assessor and Zilla for county clerk and recorder.