Democrats take majority of Jefferson County offices

Five of the six contested Jefferson County elected positions on the ballot this year have gone the way of the Democrats, as of 8:28 a.m. Nov. 7.

In the race for clerk and recorder, incumbent Faye Griffin, a Republican, leads with 50.47 percent of the vote. Democrat George Stern has 49.53 percent of the vote. While the percentages are close, 2,053 votes still separate the two, outside the range for triggering an automatic recount.

"I am so thankful for the incredible support we've received over the course of the campaign. With tens of thousands of ballots left to be counted, we'll wait to see how the final numbers come out," Stern said. "But it is clear we've seen unprecedented turnout in a midterm, and that's a great thing for democracy."

The rest of the Republican field wasn't so lucky, with the loss of control of those five positions, most notably the County Commissioner District 3 spot, that had been held by appointed incumbent Tina Francone. Democrat Leslie Dahlkember won that contest 55-45, swinging the balance of power to Democrats on the three-person board.

MORE: Dem. Dahlkemper winning race for Jefferson County commissioner seat

Democrat Gerald ''Jerry'' DiTullio is leading with 53.40 percent of the vote for treasurer. He is running against Frank Teunissen, a Republican, who has 46.6 percent of the vote.

In the county coroner race, Democrat Annette Cannon has 53.3 percent of the vote, while Republican Thomas Weldon has 46.7 percent of the vote.

Democrat Bryan Douglass is leading with 53.46 percent of the vote for surveyor, while Republican incumbent candidate Robert J. Hennessy has 46.54 percent of the vote.

In the assessor race, Democrat Scot Kersgaard has 51.61 percent of the vote, a lead over Republican candidate Brian Cassidy’s 48.39 percent.

Sheriff Jeff Shrader, a Republican, ran unopposed and garnered 154,699 yes votes.