Mellor unseated in lopsided GOP primary vote

Romney, Curtis, Watkins, Jensen, Jones, Funk, Tuttle overcome party challengers
Republican Tony Martines knocked off incumbent Carbon County Commissioner Jake Mellor in Tuesday night’s GOP primary election.
Martines collected 74 percent of 1,904 votes to Mellor’s 26 percent, according to unofficial results released by the county clerk/auditor.
Martines will face off against Democrat John Jones and third-party candidate Mel Coonrod in November’s general election.
Jones, a former county commissioner, defeated fellow Democrat Joe Christman during Tuesday’s Democratic primary vote by 11 percentage points.
Martines said on Wednesday that his victory signaled that people in Carbon County desire a change in leadership.
“It’s been incredible, the turnout, the kind words from people. Carbon County is ready for a change and I am ready to bring it,” he said.
Republican Larry Jensen won his party’s nomination for Jae Potter’s Carbon County Commission seat Tuesday night, winning 47 percent of 1,899 total votes. Local GOP chairwoman Kendra Seeley came in a distant second with 27 percent of the vote. Ryan Murray, president of the county chamber of commerce, took home 22 percent. Jay Daugherty placed fourth with only 4 percent of the vote.
County Democratic Party chair Ed Chavez was unopposed during the primary election and will face Jensen in November’s general election. Cheryl Lupo, an independent candidate, will also contend for the seat.
Potter lost his challenge to replace incumbent State Rep. Christine Watkins in District 69. Watkins won the GOP challenge 1,202 votes to Potter’s 696 votes, or 63 percent to 37 percent in Carbon County. District wide, Watkins took home 2,436 votes to Potter’s 1,558 votes.
Watkins said Wednesday that she was grateful to all her supporters.
“So pleased with all the support I received.  I met such wonderful people and my message and record helped me win,” she said. “Many thanks to all who took the time to vote for me.”
Watkins will face Democrat Tim Glenn in November.
In the only remaining county race, the Republican race for clerk/auditor, Seth Marsing won just shy of 43 percent of 1,871 votes cast. Glenna Etzel came in second with 33 percent of the vote. David Petty took third with 24 percent of the vote.
Marsing will face Democrat Sulika Laulu Merrell in November.
In Emery County, incumbents Sheriff Greg Funk and Clerk/Auditor Brenda Tuttle easily defeated their challengers in the GOP primary.
Funk dashed the hopes of Keaton Cowley 1,145 votes to Cowley’s 648.
Tuttle overcame her opponent Russell Larson 1,095 votes to Larson’s 677 votes.
In a close contest for Emery County School Board District 4, Marie Guymon Johnson defeated Nicky Nielson and Mike Justice. Johnson beat Nielson for the seat by only 14 votes.
The contests for federal office were lopsided affairs.
U.S. Rep. John Curtis easily defeated Chris Herrod, his GOP challenger for District 3. Curtis scored 80 percent of the vote in Carbon County. The vote was tighter district wide, with Curtis earning 75 percent, or 55,977 votes, to Herrod’s 18,950 votes, or 25 percent.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was also expected to easily defeat his GOP rival for Orrin Hatch’s U.S. Senate seat.
Romney scored 1,207 votes in Carbon County to State Rep. Mike Kennedy’s 716 votes. Statewide Romney was expected to win by a margin of 45 percentage points, defeating the upstart Kennedy 207,109 votes to Kennedy’s 77,801 votes, according to late numbers published by the state.
Less than 24 percent of Carbon County’s 10,958 registered voters bothered to go to the polls Tuesday.
Of the 3,688 registered Republicans, only 52 percent participated in Tuesday’s primary. Democratic participation was worse with only 660 Democrats out 1,672 registered party members, or about 40 percent, bothering to show up to the polls.
Tuesday’s vote is expected to be made official by July 3. Just 41 provisional ballots remain uncounted. Election officials also are waiting for any stray absentee ballots postmarked before the election that may still be in the U.S. mail.