Dahl Memorial, town levies approved by voters

Countywide voter turnout for the primary election was much higher than it was in 2018 as seventy-three percent of the county’s 885 registered voters returned mail ballots by 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Precinct 13 (Ekalaka) and Precinct 14 (Rural Ekalaka) each had 73 percent voter turnout while Precinct 1 (Alzada) and Precinct 3 (Hammond) had 71 percent. In total, 650 ballots were returned. In the 2018 primaries, the county had only a 53 percent turnout.

Carter County residents voted in favor of the Dahl Memorial Special Mill Levy which will raise $260,000 for the healthcare facility during both fiscal years 2021 and 2022. The vote total in favor of the levy was 367. Two hundred thirty-five voters opposed the levy.

The precinct of Ekalaka voted on three additional levies in the Primary. The Town of Ekalaka Parks Levy passed with 119 votes for and 66 against. The library levy passed with 120 votes for and 64 against and the Emswiler Swimming Pool Levy also passed with 113 votes for and 72 against.

There were no local races. Incumbent Tracey D. Walker received 537 votes for Carter County Clerk of District Court/Superintendent of Schools on the Republican ballot and County Commissioner District #1 Incumbent Rodney Tauck received 492.

Laurie McKinnon received 226 votes for Montana Supreme Court Justice #5, Mike Black had 168 and Mars Scott had 72. Jim Shea, who ran unopposed for Supreme Court Justice #6, received 451 votes.

Democratic primaries:

Unofficial county results show that on the Democratic ticket, Joe Biden received the most votes for President with 38; Elizabeth Warren was second with 6 and Bernie Sanders received 4.

Governor Steve Bullock received the only votes for U.S. Senator in Carter County with 51. Statewide, Bullock handily secured his party’s nomination to run against. Sen. Steve Daines, holding 96 percent of the vote over primary opponents John Mues and Mike Knoles as of 10:45 p.m.

Kathleen Williams had 39 votes for U.S. Representative.

Current Lt. Governor Mike Cooney had 33 votes for governor. Cooney won the Democratic nomination for governor, leading challenger Whitney Williams by nearly 14,500 votes at 10:45 Tuesday.

Bryce Bennett had 39 votes for Secretary of State. Raph Graybill had 24 votes for Montana Attorney General compared to 18 for Kimberly Dudik. Shane A. Morigeau had 21 votes for State Auditor and Mike Winsor had 18. Melissa Romano received 43 votes in Carter County for State Superintendent of Public Instruction and Valerie McMurtry received 29 for District 2 Public Service Commissioner.

Republican primaries:

Unofficial results for the Republican primary show that Donald Trump received 571 votes for President. Trump was, in fact, the highest vote-getter of the night in Carter County.

Incumbent Steve Daines received the majority of the votes for U.S. Senate on the Republican ballot with 519. Statewide, Daines handily secured the party’s nomination for re-election, holding 88 percent of the vote as of 10:45 p.m. on Tuesday. It will be a battle of the Steves (Daines vs. Bullock) for U.S. Senator in the general election.

The six-way race for Republican nominee for U.S. Representative went to Matt Rosendale in Carter County. Rosendale had 307 votes. The current State Auditor appeared on track to win the statewide GOP nomination, holding a 27,000-vote lead over Secretary of State Corey Stapleton as of 10:45 p.m.

Current U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte received the most Republican votes for governor in the county with 338. Statewide, Gianforte handily won the nomination against Attorney General Tim Fox and state Sen. Al Olszewski, holding a 49,000-vote lead over Fox as of 10:45 p.m.

In another six-way race on the Republican ballot, Scott Sales had the most county votes for Montana Secretary of State with 176.

Austin Knudsen received 285 votes for Montana Attorney General. Troy Downing received 179 for State Auditor. Elsie Arntzen received 429 for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Tony O’Donnell received 231 votes for District 2 Public Service Commissioner.

Jerry Schillinger received 326 votes in Carter County for District 37 State Representative; Fredrick D. (Eric) Moore received 215.

Statewide results can be found on the Montana Secretary of State website.