Clyde Church Tops La Plata County Commissioner Candidates
La Plata County Clerk and Recorder Tiffany Lee watches as La Plata County Democratic Vice Chair Gene Walter signs documents confirming the results of the vote. (Tyler Brown/Durango Herald)
With the election just a few months away, candidates for the La Plata County Commission District 1 race Monday gathered at the clerk’s office for a ballot draw.
Democratic nominee Clyde Church, who was not present, was selected first and will be the first name on the November ballot. Republican nominee Brad Blake and independent nominee Jack Turner watched La Plata County Clerk and Sound Recordist Tiffany Lee spell names out of little red, white, and blue tins.
By state regulation, independent/independent candidates are always placed below the Democratic and Republican candidates, allowing Blake to take second place on the ballot. Lee said if there were two independent candidates for her, the county would hold another lottery to determine who would be listed first.
“Some people feel that the person with the top placement gets more votes just because the voter’s eye went there and read it first,” Lee said. for 26 years, and I won my first election at the bottom, so it doesn’t feel like it at all.”
Lee is an independent and independent and is seeking re-election. Her position therefore did not require a lottery of votes.
Erin Hutchins, who is running as an independent candidate to run against Democratic incumbent Allison Eichel, also attended Monday’s lottery. No lottery was required.
Blake, who narrowly lost to Clyde Church in the 2018 county commission election, didn’t care where his name stood on the ballot. He said he wasn’t sure where his candidate was placed would be statistically significant.
“I know it’s a two-way street. I know elections where the top voting names and issues don’t really matter,” he said.
What really matters to Blake is the wording of the poll question, as it can be difficult for voters to understand.
Some people say, “If you agree, do you vote ‘Yes’ or if you agree, do you vote ‘No’?” He said.
Blake believes his name recognition means more than being voted second out of three candidates for county commission.
Independent candidate Jack Turner agrees. Turner is frustrated that independent candidates cannot participate in the ballot lottery.
But it’s kind of funny. The number of independents is his 48% of registered voters, and the lottery is always between the two (Democrats and Republicans),” he said.
He said independent candidates are often treated as inferior candidates, even though they are required to collect enough signatures to participate in the vote.
“The rule that candidates from both parties always appear at the top of the ballot is clearly set to benefit both parties, especially when there are a large number of candidates,” he said.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
