Miller outspends opponents in bid for property assessor
Property assessor Carolyn Miller is finishing with a flourish, outspending her two combined opponents nearly 3 to 1 over the reporting period leading into the Aug. 5 election.
Miller, seeking her fourth term as property assessor, took in and spent $1,696 after her Democratic primary victory leading up to the early voting period which ended Saturday. She spent $3,625 on her way to a landslide win over Democratic opponents Thomas Winfree and Emily Panter earlier this year.
Independent opponent and 5th District County Commissioner Michael Martin took in and spent $650 while Republican nominee Gerry Riley reported spending no money. However, the GOP hopeful spent $595 earlier in the campaign as revealed in his early year finance report. The reports filed this week do not include last-minute spending over the past week.
The reports were filed even as early voting for the Aug. 5 general election and primaries drew to a close. According to Election Administrator Donna Yates, 1,453 people took advantage of the early voting option. Those who did not vote early may vote Aug. 5 when polls are open across the county.
While 1,453 voted in the general election which included a limited number of items including the assessor’s race, the 5th District commissioners race and a trio of unopposed bids for the school board, voters also cast ballots in primaries for state and federal offices. A total of 986 persons voted in the Democratic primary while 283 voted in the Republican primary.
The only contested primary race was for the Republican nomination for 4th District U.S. Representative, a seat held by Democrat Lincoln Davis and most hotly contested by Republican Janice Bowling.