Fisher elected commissioner
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EAGLE COUNTY ” After months of campaigning, Sara Fisher earned a term on the Eagle County Board of Commissioners Tuesday, defeating Republican Tom Edwards and independent Roger Brown.
The absentee ballots hadn’t all been counted yet, but just after midnight Wednesday morning, Fisher had a nearly 900-vote lead. She ended up winning by more than 1,600 votes.
Edwards left before all the votes were counted. But, he said, “I shook her hand tonight and said ‘It looks like it’s yours.'”
Fisher, who was still at the Eagle County Clerk and Recorder’s office at 12:30 a.m., said she was excited to start work.
“My to-do list is to go on vacation, then knuckle down, learn the issues and get up to speed,” Fisher said.
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While the race was apparently decided before all the votes were counted, Brown predicted Fisher’s win early in the evening.
“There’s an awful lot of people who’ll just check the box for the Democrat this year.
My sense is that trend against Republicans is enormous,” Brown said.
“It’s been eight-and-a-half months,” Fisher said of her campaign. “It’s been an incredible experience, and this is the icing on the cake.”
Fisher and Edwards spent several hours with the small crowd gathered in the county clerk’s office Tuesday night, which gave the two time to talk, Fisher said. Fisher added that she, Edwards and Brown had gotten to know each other better over the months.
“The three of us became better friends over the campaign,” she said. “Hopefully those friendships will continue.”
Fisher said it will be important to have a friend on the Gypsum Town Council, of which Edwards is still a member.
“One of my missions is to work more closely with all the governments and towns in the county to come up with solutions to the issues facing the county,” Fisher said.
Edwards said he also considers he has a friend on the county commission.
“I have full respect for Sara, and I believe she has respect for me,” he said.
Edwards still has a term on the Gypsum Town Council to finish. He also sits on the boards of several volunteer and nonprofit groups in the county.
“I’ve got a couple of other things going on,” he said. “I’m going to stay involved in those, and maybe get involved in some other things.”
The campaign was mostly cordial, although the candidates often talked about their differences. The ugliest part of the campaign was an anonymously mailed, possibly libelous postcard about Fisher that was mailed to voters in late October.
Brown was most vocal about the differences between him, Fisher and Edwards. While Edwards and Fisher campaigned on ways to control and guide the county’s growth, Brown said flatly county growth was “out of control.”
Asked if he had any advice for the winner, Brown said he didn’t.
“I think we’re out of here as a family,” he said. “We’re just no longer able to do it.”
Staff Writer Scott N. Miller can be reached at 748-2930, or smiller@vaildaily.com.
Vail Daily, Vail Colorado