The Flathead County Commission will have a new member starting in January 2015, and voters will choose between Republican candidate Phil Mitchell and Democratic candidate Stacey Schnebel in November’s general election.
Mitchell beat GOP challenger and current county commissioner for District 1 Cal Scott in the June 2 primary election. Mitchell garnered 70 percent of the vote with 9,193 votes, handily routing Scott’s 3,753 votes.
Schnebel won the Democratic nod over her competitor John “Jack” Garlitz, also earning 70 percent of the vote with 2,068 votes compared to Garlitz’s 849.
Mitchell said he spent the June 2 primary at home, deciding to head to bed after hearing some of the first results start to roll in.
“This has been a long three months,” he said.
In a prepared statement, Mitchell thanked his friends, family and supporters.
“Thank you for your faith and encouragement in my campaign for Flathead County Commissioner. I am humbled by the victory. More importantly, I’m humbled by you,” Mitchell wrote. “The spirit and generosity of the Flathead County folks that Belinda and I met during the campaign were overwhelming. It was a pleasure to campaign and it will be an even greater honor to serve as your county commissioner if I’m privileged to win the general election.”
Mitchell also said his campaign tried to take down all his election signs two days after the primary vote, and anyone who sees one is asked to call 261-4495 to get it removed.
Schnebel, who owns the Stonefly Lounge in Coram as well as UnderCurrent Web, said she’s going to take some time after the primary to decompress and focus on her businesses before diving into campaigning for the general election in November.
Winning the primary was an honor, she said.
“I am really pleased and honored to have been chosen by the Democratic Party to run in the general election,” Schnebel said. “I’m excited about it; I know that I have my work cut out for me.”
Schnebel said her campaigning will include meetings with local communities and groups to see what issues are important to them, and that she’s going to do some fundraising as well.
“I am going to need to be creative and that’s OK, I can do that,” Schnebel said. “I think I have a good chance.”
Cal Scott will serve out his term, and will be replaced by the new commissioner in January. He did not return requests for comment.