Nething wins District 12 Senate seat by 8 votes

Dave Nething retains his seat as District 12 senator after the completion of a recount Friday. The final results gave Nething, a Republican who has served in the Senate since 1966, an 8-vote margin over Democratic challenger John Grabinger.

The final results determined 2,974 votes for Nething and 2,966 votes for Grabinger after the recount committee had ruled on 105 ballots challenged by either Johnson or the representatives of the candidates.

Three ballots were disallowed due to a lack of initials by an election worker. All other ballots were unanimously agreed to by the recount board of Fritz Fremgen, Stutsman County state’s attorney, Mark Klose, chairman of the Stutsman County Commission, and Karen Samek, Stutsman County, register of deeds.

The official vote totals after the Canvassing Board gave Nething a 12-vote edge with 2,983 votes to Grabinger’s 2,971. A recount is mandated by North Dakota law anytime the margin of victory is less than one half of 1 percent of the top vote-getter’s tally. In this race that is roughly 15 votes.

Sun reporter Keith Norman can be reached at (701) 952-8452 or by e-mail at knorman@jamestownsun.com

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