Republicans take local races in Teton County

DRIGGS — Teton County Republicans had a good night this Tuesday, winning both races for county commissioner in addition to the county sheriff and prosecutor races.

Harley Wilcox and Mark Ricks’ victories flip the county commission from a 2-1 Democratic majority, to a 2-1 Republican majority.

Wilcox bested incumbent Teton County Commission Chairman Bill Leake by 113 votes, receiving 51.5 percent of the vote. Mark Ricks garnered 54.5 percent of the vote to beat Democrat Bob Heneage and fill the seat formerly held by Commissioner Kelly Park. Ricks beat Park in the Republican Primary earlier this year.

Incumbent Sheriff Tony Liford won his race by a 1,027 votes, receiving just over 60 percent of the vote, the widest margin of the evening. Challenger Billie Siddoway received 56 percent of the vote to unseat incumbent Teton County Prosecutor Kathy Spitzer by a 625-vote margin.

Magistrate Judge Jason Walker won his retention vote handedly. (Voters were given a “yes” or “no” vote. He was not running against another candidate.) Walker received 3,328 votes in favor of him staying on the bench and only 657 seeking to remove him.

Voters also approved Teton County School District 401’s supplemental levy with 66 percent of the vote.

In the vote for President, Teton County went much the same as the country as a whole, with a narrow victory for Donald Trump. According to CNN, Trump won 47.7 percent of the popular vote nationwide, to Clinton’s 47.5 percent.

In Teton County, the President Elect won 43.5 percent of the vote while Secretary Clinton received 43.4 percent. The two candidates were only separated by 4 votes.

While the race will certainly have effects on national policy, the local results will also affect at least a few, important local issues.

New Prosecutor Billie Siddoway is now in charge of prosecuting Erik Ohlson, who is possibly facing the death penalty for the murder of Driggs woman Jennifer Nalley.

The two new commissioners will be in charge of adopting Teton County’s new land-use code. Public hearings on the new code are expected to continue into January. By that time, Wilcox and Ricks will be sworn into office.

This story originally appeared in the Teton Valley News. It is posted here with permission.