JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald
Begay
Janis “Jann” Smith takes a deep breath and gets a hug from her daughter, Lindsay Box, on Tuesday night after winning the La Plata County coroner’s race.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald
Begay
Janis “Jann” Smith takes a deep breath and gets a hug from her daughter, Lindsay Box, on Tuesday night after winning the La Plata County coroner’s race.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Republicans had patriotic decorations on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Republican Brad Blake, talks with Jo Fusco, left, and Donna Cook on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Terri Oliger kept election results updated on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Bob Lieb, left, looks on with his son Bobby Lieb, candidate for La Plata County Treasurer, and Bobby’s wife Meredith, and their daughter, Laura, 18, as they watch election results come in on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Republicans filled the basement of the Durango Elks Lodge on Tuesday night.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - DURANGO - 11/04/14 - County commissioner Julie Westendorff and others celebrate as they learn both Sean Smith and Allison Morrissey were ahead on Tuesday evening at Brew Pub & Kitchen.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - DURANGO - 11/04/14 - Sean Smith accepts congratulations from friends and supporters after arriving with son, Christopher Smith, 10, mom Holly Smith, and son Brandon Smith, 16, on Tuesday evening at Brew Pub & Kitchen.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Election results from other the U.S. were updated throughout the evening on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - DURANGO - 11/04/14 - Margaret Martin reacts to news that Allison Morrissey was pulling ahead of Bobby Lieb in the race for county treasurer on Tuesday evening at Brew Pub & Kitchen.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Election results are updated thoughout the evening on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - DURANGO - 11/04/14 - Mayor Sweetie Marbury reacts to news that Sean Smith was leading in the race for La Plata County Sheriff on Tuesday evening at Brew Pub & Kitchen.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Republican supporters dressed up in patriotic clothes on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>La Plata County coroner, Jann Smith, and deputy coroner Larry Phelps wait for election results on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - DURANGO - 11/04/14 - From left: Laura Godfrey with the La Plata County Democratic Party Executive Committee, Bruce Whitehead, Gary Fairchild, and Isabel Whitehead, 15, react to the news that Cory Gardener was pulling ahead of Mark Udall in the contest for U.S. Senate on Tuesday evening at Brew Pub & Kitchen.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Terri Oliger kept election results updated on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Plenty of electronic devises were on hand to keep up on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - DURANGO - 11/04/14 - Allison Morrissey arrives after hearing news of her lead over Bobby Lieb in the race for county treasurer on Tuesday evening at Brew Pub & Kitchen.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Repuclicans had patriotic decorations on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Republicans had patriotic decorations on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Republican Brad Blake, talks with Jo Fusco, left, and Donna Cook on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Terri Oliger kept election results updated on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Bob Lieb, left, looks on with his son Bobby Lieb, candidate for La Plata County Treasurer, and Bobby’s wife Meredith, and their daughter, Laura, 18, as they watch election results come in on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Republicans filled the basement of the Durango Elks Lodge on Tuesday night.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - DURANGO - 11/04/14 - County commissioner Julie Westendorff and others celebrate as they learn both Sean Smith and Allison Morrissey were ahead on Tuesday evening at Brew Pub & Kitchen.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - DURANGO - 11/04/14 - Sean Smith accepts congratulations from friends and supporters after arriving with son, Christopher Smith, 10, mom Holly Smith, and son Brandon Smith, 16, on Tuesday evening at Brew Pub & Kitchen.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Election results from other the U.S. were updated throughout the evening on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - DURANGO - 11/04/14 - Margaret Martin reacts to news that Allison Morrissey was pulling ahead of Bobby Lieb in the race for county treasurer on Tuesday evening at Brew Pub & Kitchen.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Election results are updated thoughout the evening on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - DURANGO - 11/04/14 - Mayor Sweetie Marbury reacts to news that Sean Smith was leading in the race for La Plata County Sheriff on Tuesday evening at Brew Pub & Kitchen.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Republican supporters dressed up in patriotic clothes on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>La Plata County coroner, Jann Smith, and deputy coroner Larry Phelps wait for election results on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - DURANGO - 11/04/14 - From left: Laura Godfrey with the La Plata County Democratic Party Executive Committee, Bruce Whitehead, Gary Fairchild, and Isabel Whitehead, 15, react to the news that Cory Gardener was pulling ahead of Mark Udall in the contest for U.S. Senate on Tuesday evening at Brew Pub & Kitchen.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Terri Oliger kept election results updated on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Plenty of electronic devises were on hand to keep up on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - DURANGO - 11/04/14 - Allison Morrissey arrives after hearing news of her lead over Bobby Lieb in the race for county treasurer on Tuesday evening at Brew Pub & Kitchen.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Repuclicans had patriotic decorations on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald
Begay
Janis “Jann” Smith takes a deep breath and gets a hug from her daughter, Lindsay Box, on Tuesday night after winning the La Plata County coroner’s race.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Republicans had patriotic decorations on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Republican Brad Blake, talks with Jo Fusco, left, and Donna Cook on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Terri Oliger kept election results updated on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Bob Lieb, left, looks on with his son Bobby Lieb, candidate for La Plata County Treasurer, and Bobby’s wife Meredith, and their daughter, Laura, 18, as they watch election results come in on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Republicans filled the basement of the Durango Elks Lodge on Tuesday night.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - DURANGO - 11/04/14 - County commissioner Julie Westendorff and others celebrate as they learn both Sean Smith and Allison Morrissey were ahead on Tuesday evening at Brew Pub & Kitchen.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - DURANGO - 11/04/14 - Sean Smith accepts congratulations from friends and supporters after arriving with son, Christopher Smith, 10, mom Holly Smith, and son Brandon Smith, 16, on Tuesday evening at Brew Pub & Kitchen.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Election results from other the U.S. were updated throughout the evening on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - DURANGO - 11/04/14 - Margaret Martin reacts to news that Allison Morrissey was pulling ahead of Bobby Lieb in the race for county treasurer on Tuesday evening at Brew Pub & Kitchen.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Election results are updated thoughout the evening on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - DURANGO - 11/04/14 - Mayor Sweetie Marbury reacts to news that Sean Smith was leading in the race for La Plata County Sheriff on Tuesday evening at Brew Pub & Kitchen.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Republican supporters dressed up in patriotic clothes on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>La Plata County coroner, Jann Smith, and deputy coroner Larry Phelps wait for election results on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - DURANGO - 11/04/14 - From left: Laura Godfrey with the La Plata County Democratic Party Executive Committee, Bruce Whitehead, Gary Fairchild, and Isabel Whitehead, 15, react to the news that Cory Gardener was pulling ahead of Mark Udall in the contest for U.S. Senate on Tuesday evening at Brew Pub & Kitchen.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Terri Oliger kept election results updated on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Plenty of electronic devises were on hand to keep up on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald - DURANGO - 11/04/14 - Allison Morrissey arrives after hearing news of her lead over Bobby Lieb in the race for county treasurer on Tuesday evening at Brew Pub & Kitchen.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br>Repuclicans had patriotic decorations on Tuesday night at the Durango Elks Lodge.
Janis “Jann” Smith won the La Plata County coroner’s race, a position she has held for two years after being appointed by La Plata County commissioners when Dr. Carol Huser stepped down.
When the final report was issued at about 11:30 p.m., the vote count was 11,982 – 61.4 percent – for Smith and 7,529 – 38.6 percent – for unaffiliated candidate Beverly Begay. Smith held a lead of 4,000-plus votes throughout the evening.
Related Stories
Nov 3, 2014
Local turnout strong in close contests
La Plata County voters had a choice between two experienced death investigators. Republican Smith, who gained experience in La Plata County, served as the first coroner for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe for six years and deputy La Plata County coroner for 28 years before her appointment to the top job in November 2012.
“I’m ecstatic,” she said about her win, “and relieved. I learned so much about the campaigning process – I didn’t know anything before.”
Begay, who has lived in La Plata County for 2½ years, had studied and worked in coroners’ offices in Albuquerque and Houston.
Begay could not be reached for comment.
One difference between the two is that Smith is a trained autopsy assistant, having assisted at 800 autopsies. That’s an important skill in a region where a consulting forensic pathologist comes here only periodically to perform autopsies in contrast to city morgues, which have full-time medical examiners.
It was the first campaign for Smith and Begay. In an election season characterized by partisan infighting and donations of millions of dollars from groups outside Colorado, it was a low-key and inexpensive contest. Smith raised $900 and spent just more than $508. Begay did not file any financial reports with the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office.
Results are unofficial until certified.
abutler@durangoherald.com
