Browning, Chesser, Frye win contested council seats; Risk wins commissioner

For the general election last month, two county-level races were contested. Those races included the commissioner seat for district three and the three at-large county council spaces.

This year, Owen County saw more walk-in absentee or early voters than voters on election day. There were a total of 5,241 absentee ballots cast, with 420 being paper or mail-in absentee.

On election day, 4,504 residents voted, leading to 9,945 or 63.4 percent of the 15,685 registered voters voting in this election. There were 2,924 straight party Republican ticket votes, 627 straight party Democratic Party votes, one straight party Libertarian Party vote and one straight party We The People Party votes in Owen County.

Both incumbents for state senator and state representative in Owen County retained their seats. State Senator for District 37 Rodric Bray (R) beat Kimberly Schofield (D), and State Representative for District 46 Bob Heaton (R) beat Kurtis Cummins (D).

Incumbents Judge Donald (Don) Osterloo II and County Auditor Sheila Reeves both ran unopposed. Republican Sam Hobbs ran unopposed for county commissioner in district two after winning the party bid in the primary against incumbent Bob Curry.

Republican David Risk, who secured the party bid against incumbent Joel Lowe during the primary, beat Democrat William Jennings. Risk had 5,845 votes or 72.61 percent, and Jennings had 2,582 votes or 27.39 percent.

The county council had six candidates for the three at-large positions open this year. Only one incumbent, current council president Polly Chesser, ran. The candidates included Daniel Browning (R), Sandra (Wood) Calvert (D), Dustin Combs (Lib), Chesser (R), Joe Frye (R) and Chad VanRyn (Lib).

All three Republican candidates were elected to the council. Browning had 5,098 votes or 25.28 percent; Chesser had 4,829 votes or 23.95 percent; Frye had 4,833 votes or 23.97 percent; Calvert had 2,394 votes or 11.87 percent; Combs had 1,409 votes or 6.99 percent; and VanRyn had 1,601 votes or 7.94 percent.

There were no contested school board races for Spencer-Owen Community Schools for the four seats available. Incumbents Chad Cooper, Rick Smeltzer and Derek Morgan were elected to districts one, four and five respectively.

Newcomer to the board Deana Stickels secured the second seat allocated to district five.