With nearly all the precincts reporting and absentee ballots counted, Flathead County voters elected Republican Phil Mitchell to the District 1 seat of the county commission, with about 67 percent of the votes to Democrat opponent Stacey Schnebel’s 33 percent.
“I want to thank the Flathead voters for their overwhelming support,” Mitchell said. “It is a humbling night and I am excited by what we can accomplish.”
Mitchell said he is glad the campaign season is over, and after taking some time off immediately following the election, he plans on getting to know the commissioner job better.
“Flathead County is a special place and I’m honored to get to serve its citizens,” he said. “I’ve been here for 40 years and I’m not going anywhere.”
Mitchell thanked his family, campaign team and supporters, and he said his faith also helped him through the tough parts of the campaign season.
Democrat candidate Schnebel said she has no regrets about her campaign and feels that running for commission helped her understand local government more, as well as those she spoke with along the campaign trail.
“The victory here is in providing voters with a good choice, and that’s what democracy is about,” she said. “It’s not about winning the race, it’s about giving voters two good people to choose from.”
Schnebel said she will spend time after the election with her family and getting back into her two businesses, though a future run for office may still be in the cards.
” I think that what is notable about this race is that I got people interested in politics who had never paid attention to local government before,” she said.
The District 1 seat covers the northern section of the county and is currently held by Commissioner Cal Scott. Mitchell bested Scott in the primary election, and Scott then threw his support behind Schnebel.
During the campaign, Mitchell and Schnebel butted heads in the pages of the newspapers, but not in person, with Mitchell refusing to debate Schnebel. The GOP also asked the Flathead County Attorney to bring charges against Schnebel for voting in Whitefish municipal elections in 2009 and 2011, when she lived in Coram.