Cook County Posts High Voter Turnout

With many Cook County precincts turning out in the high 80 and 90 percentages, registered voters came out in droves to cast their ballots in all precincts.  They gave President Barack Obama a wide margin of victory over challenger Mitt Romney.

District 2 voters favored Garry Gamble over incumbent Fritz Sobanja for county commissioner, and elected Heidi Doo-Kirk to fill the District 4 position over Rick Austin.

Grand Marais voters returned Mayor Larry "Bear" Carlson to office over Adam Harju.  Uncontested city council members Tim Kennedy and Jan Sivertson were re-elected.

Cook County voters overwhelmingly chose U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar over challenger Kurt Bills and returned Senator Tom Bakk and Representative David Dill to their District 3 and 3A jobs.

In the 8th District race, challenger Rick Nolan beat Representative Chip Cravaack.

Local voters voted down both the Voter ID and Marriage amendments.  Uncontested ISD166 school board candidates Ed Bolstad and "Sissy" Lunde won without competition.  In the only contested hospital board race, Kay Olson won over Lynn Parish.

Cook County had 3,841 voters show up at the polls for a turn-out of 87% of registered voters.  Precinct turnouts ranged from 80 percent in Grand Marais East and West to a high of 93 percent in the Gunflint and Maple Hill precincts.