In all, according to the Barton County Clerk’s Office, there were 3,311 votes cast out of 16,654 registered voters for a turn-out of 20 percent. The results posted by the office Tuesday night are preliminary and will be finalized after they are canvassed Friday.
For complete Barton County election results, visit http://www.bartoncounty.org/Clerk/election.htm.
By a nearly two-to-one margin over challenger and city council member Randy Myers, Great Bend Mayor Mike Allison retained his job in Tuesday’s general election.
Allison received 1,319 votes, or 64 percent, compared to Myers 726 votes.
“I am extremely happy to have won,” Allison said. “The voters of Great Bend appreciate the job I’ve done.”
Allison said he sees the vote as a referendum on his years of leadership. “It was by landslide proportions.”
Now, he said he will keep working with the council and other leaders to make Great Bend a better place to live. “I will continue to put a good foot forward for the city.”
“I want to thank all those who supported me,” Myers said. “That’s what Great Bend wants and that’s what Great Bend got.” However, he said he holds no hard feelings.
In the Great Bend Unified School District 428 School Board election, there were six registered candidates and one write-in vying for the four open seats. The top four vote-getters earned a position.
Cheryl Rugan received 1,596 votes, Wade Babcock 1,136 voters, Dwight Young 1,132 and Doug Bender 943. Of the other candidates, James Jordan received 825 and Mark Hestand 709, and there were 518 write-in votes.
For the Barton Community College Trustees, there were four candidates shooting for three openings. The top three vote-getters were Mike Johnson with 2,004, Mike Minton with 1,917 and Brett Middleton with 1,789. Glenn Opie garnered 1,652 votes and there were 32 write-in votes cast.
For the Great Bend City Council, candidates in Wards 1-4 were all unopposed. The results were: In Ward 1, Mitchell Haney received 366 votes and there were seven write-ins; in Ward 2, Dale Westoff received 775 with 10 write-ins; in Ward 3, Allene Owen received 456 with five write-ins; and in Ward 4, Dana Dawson received 189 votes with eight write-ins.
Other county races:
Hoisington mayor – Clayton Williamson 114 votes and three write-ins.
Ellinwood mayor – Frank Koelsch 247 votes and 10 write-ins.
Claflin mayor – Mike Urban 170 votes.
Albert mayor – there were 27 write-in votes.
Galatia mayor – Steve Wilhelm 16 votes and one write-in.
Olmitz mayor – there were 24 write-in votes.
Pawnee Rock mayor – Timothy Parret 24 votes, James Oberle 19 and three write-ins.
Susank Mayor – 10 write-ins.
There were also elections for Hoisington, Ellinwood, Claflin, Albert, Galatia, Olmitz, Pawnee Rock and Susank city councils, Ellinwood District Hospital Trustees, USD 421 Hoisington School Board, USD 355 Ellinwood School Board and USD 403 Otis-Bison. There are also parts of USD 112 Central Plains and USD 495 Larned that fall in Barton County, and elections were held for those boards as well.
For these results, go to http://www.bartoncounty.org/Clerk/election.htm.
