In spite of a gray and rainy day, 45.27 percent of Pocahontas County voters turned outﾠ to nominate candidates for the General Election. This unofficial count will be updated next week after the county commission canvasses the votes on Friday.

Nick J. Rahall, II, won handily over his opponent Bruce Barilla, 1,027 votes to 402 in the county Democratic race for U.S. House of Representatives. Rahall was elected district-wide 30,476 to 15,843. Rahall will face Republican Elliott ﾓSpikeﾔ Maynard who got his partyﾒs nod. Maynard won the county, as well, with 231 votes to distant challengers Marty Gearheart, 124, Conrad Lucas, 111, and Lee Bias, 58.

State Senator Walt Helmick got 72 percent of Pocahontas County Democrats in his corner, while challenger Tom Ditty received only 409 votes here; however, Ditty won Randolph County by 83 votes, topping Helmick 1,587 to 1,504. Helmick, who reportedly raised more campaign funds than any other primary candidate, was expected to win his district primary race.

Republican Greg Brown won both Pocahontas and Randolph counties handily in his bid for the state senate nomination. Brown defeated W. Page Noe 382 to 63 here and 619 to 102 in Randolph County. No final numbers in the Republican primary district race were available.

Delegate Bill Hartman was the clear winner of the Democratic House of Delegates race in both counties receiving 877 votes in Pocahontas County and 1,526 in Randolph County. Political newcomer Denise Campbell also gets her partyﾒs nomination with 556 votes here and 1,284 in Randolph County. Robbie Morris was third in Pocahontas County with 270 votes, Paul Louk was fourth with 243. Earl Maxwell finished with 223 here and Kent Price trailed with 145.

J. L. Clifton won the highly contested Democratic county commission race with 424 votes. Opponents Gibbs Kinderman and Robin Mutscheller tied for the second spot with 389 votes. Amon Tracey finished with 178 votes and Natasha McMann, 111.

Republican Jamie Walker got the go aheadﾠ for county commission from his party. Walker got 295 votes to opponent Randy A. Sharpﾒs 216.

In the county clerkﾒs race, Democrat Missy Bennett, won decisively over her opponents with 781 votes. Brenda Cochran finished second with 335 votes, Deborah Miller got 212 votes and C. J. Totten, 124.

Bennett will face Republican Mark Jonese who won over Reta Jackson Griffith 316 votes to 257.

Connie Carr defeated her opponents by more than 15 percentage points, getting the Democratic nomination for circuit clerk with 665 votes. Her nearest challenger, Carrie Wilfong, got 438 votes, while Jamie Friel Hill received 323 and Jeff Hefner, 65.

Republican Paul Barb was unopposed in his race for circuit clerk.

Of the 11 non-partisan candidates for board of education, one incumbent,ﾠ one former board member and a former teacher will take their seats in July.

Incumbent Leslie Cain received 846 votes, while former board member Emery Grimes finished second with 759. Jan McNeel, a retired Hillsboro teacher, got 789 votes.

Cara Rose garnered 740 votes, incumbent Thomas VanReenen finished fifth with 677. Norman Alderman got 392, Julie Dillon, 358, David Irvine, Jr., 246, Jane Wilfong Jackson, 230, Joyce McLaughlin, 174 and Lynn Jordan, 163.

The county clerkﾒs office reported five write-in candidates for board of education.