WELLSBURG - Following a canvass of ballots cast in last week's primary election, Brooke County election clerks have released official totals for all of the races.
The winners of several offices included county commissioner, sheriff, magistrate and prosecutor, because only Democrats were running for them.
Technical problems with electronic voting machines in two of the county's 27 precincts on Tuesday left the winners of a few races in question until county election clerks worked late into the night to tally more than 300 votes cast there.
Brooke County Clerk Sylvia Benzo released totals for close races for a seat on the county commission and two seats on the county's school board early Wednesday, but complete totals for other races, including a close race for county magistrate weren't available until later.
The process was completed on Monday and Tuesday, with 27 provisional ballots counted.
The totals for the Brooke County magistrate race show Robin Snyder and Linda Viderman are the winners of the two magistrate seats, with 2,621 and 1,078 votes, respectively.
Totals for the other candidates for magistrate are: Cathy Dillon, 973; Karen Stuck, 904; Calvin Heck, 723; George Lewis, 536; and Art "Choke" Sullivan, 324.
Viderman wasn't called for comment Tuesday because there was a more narrow margin of votes between her and her competitors on election night.
Asked to comment on her victory Tuesday, she said, "I am very pleased, ecstatic really, and really humbled. I have this big job to fill and I want to do the best I can."
She said she was amazed by the many people who didn't know her before this year but assisted her or supported her.
Viderman said she sees illegal drugs as a major issue facing the magistrates and other court and law enforcement officials.
"It's such a big issue. We've really got to do something. But I'm really encouraged because we have good people who were elected who will work to address it," she said.
Totals for the race for an unexpired term on the county commission are: Tim Ennis, 2,542; and Richard Ferguson, 1,770. As winner, Ennis will serve the remaining four years of a term begun by the late Bernie Kazienko.
Totals for the race for the full term on the commission are: Jim Andreozzi, 726; Marty Bartz, 684; John Bertram, 574; Steve Tennant, 562; Janice McFadden, 446; Roy Givens, 390; John Casinelli, 365; Richard McCullough, 339; Burt Jennings, 257; and Lenny DeWitt, 107.
Totals for the prosecutor's race are: Joseph Barki III, 2,479; and Wayne Mielke, 1,799.
Totals for the sheriff's race are: Chuck Jackson, 2,218; Mike Allman, 1,773; and Roger Garretson, 533.
Totals for the race for two seats on the school board are: Brian Ferguson, 2,884; James Piccirillo, 2,292; Bill Schwertfeger, 2,228; and Daniel McCauley, 1,131.
