MARIETTA - An incumbent Washington County commissioner trailed a Republican challenger by 31 votes Tuesday, according to the unofficial count of general election returns.
County Commissioner Cora Marshall received 13,448 votes to opponent Ron Feathers' 13,769, however, the race was too close to call because of 742 provisional and 480 absentee ballots to be counted.
"The official (count of provisional votes) will be held Nov. 19," said Peggy Byers, deputy director for the Washington County Board of Elections.
Absentee votes postmarked by Nov. 5 have 10 days to be received, she said.
Marshall called election results "too close to call."
"There's still hope. Every vote is important and we'll know on Nov. 19 what the final outcome is," Marshall said.
Feathers said his campaign "gave out a message that resonated with voters." He has already made plans for when he assumes his seat as county commissioner.
"I want to make sure that we're extremely fiscally responsible with people's money," Feathers said.
In the second race for Washington County Commission, David White defeated opponent Peg Littler, 15,540 to 11,673 votes.
"I think the campaign went very, very well," said White.
He also gave kudos to his supporters.
"They're the best. The support that I got was unbelievable, financial, going door to door and walking the parades," he added.
Before he starts, White said he has more work to do.
"I will go to sit in on the (county's) budget process," he said.
"It will help me hit the ground running," he said. "The budgets are what we have to work with next calendar year."
Campaigning was a positive experience for Littler.
"I learned a lot. I met a lot of wonderful people and it was an enjoyable and enlightening experience," she said.
The negativity of national political ads was a turn off for Littler and she said she refused to go negative at the local level.
"I am so disheartened by the negative mud slinging at the national level," she said.
Marshall also said she kept her campaigning positive.
"I kept it focused on what I've done in the last four years," Marshall said.
