Money not biggest factor in campaign

We heard at least one candidate complain that more money might have made the difference in this primary campaign.

However, our examination of the record fails to confirm that claim.

If money had been the only object, then we would be looking at a very different outcome than the one we saw on Tuesday night.

Two defeated candidates, Blaine Spires and Dave Nelson raised more than $20,000 for their campaigns and spent accordingly.

One of the winning candidates, incumbent Doug Johnson spent the least of any of the Republican candidates to retain his seat.

With fewer than half of the county's Republican majority casting ballots, the election could have gone either way. For Nelson, the difference between defeat and victory was fewer than 180 votes. For Stuart Posselt, 234 votes the other way would have made the difference.

As Johnson, Olson and Greg Lynn proved it's not how many signs you have, it's where you put them.

But signs aren't the only key to victory.

We would point out that for a dying medium, the biggest newspaper advertisers also tended to do well in the election.

That's because the people who do something as old fashioned as turn out in 95-degree weather to vote in a primary, also read newspapers.

Was this campaign more contentious than others we've seen? Not by a longshot.

Tuesday night's victors all face challengers in the general election, but history and mathematics vote Republican in Douglas County. A high turn-out for the presidential election will make the road to the county commission even steeper for the two Democrats and the Independent American in the race.