COEUR d'ALENE - Kootenai County Reagan Republicans failed in their attempt to gain a seat on the Kootenai Health District Board Tuesday night.

When the final votes were counted, Dr. Neil Nemec and incumbent hospital trustee Liese Razzeto took the two open seats, with Jim Pierce coming in a close third and Donna Montgomery pulling up the rear with less than 15 percent of the vote.

Nemec (4,811 votes) led the pack with nearly 34 percent, Razzeto (3,918) took 28 percent and Pierce (3,291) secured 23 percent.

Pierce was the only candidate in this election to earn the nomination of two Political Action Committees (PACs) who squared off in the non-partisan race.

The Reagan Republicans announced earlier this year that they were going to run Republican members in the non-partisan school board and hospital district races. That prompted a group of citizens to form Balance North Idaho, a political action committee that said it would endorse candidates based only on their qualifications, not their political affiliation.

Pierce attended the Balance North Idaho election party at Fort Ground Grill to watch votes come in.

"To try and address why the vote came out like it did would be speculation right now," Pierce said. "But I am happy for Nemec and Razzeto. They are both capable people, and I honestly think they will do a good job. Kootenai County and our hospital are in good hands."

The atmosphere was electric at the Fort Ground as each of the vote returns showed widening gaps for many of the Balance North Idaho candidates.

BNI supporters were so elated with the results they even called Nemec, who was home in his pajamas, to come down and join them in their celebration. Nemec was the only candidate who was not endorsed by either PAC in this election.

"But I was endorsed by my patients, my colleagues and the community," Nemec said. "And it turns out that is all the endorsement I needed."

Nemec had no idea what to expect when the votes started rolling in.

"There is no way I could have projected this," he said. "I couldn't have done it without my friends and the support they gave me."

Nemec said now that the celebration is over, the work begins.

While it was tough run, Razzeto said it was worth it and there was some good that came out of it all.

"This vote should be very clear to everyone, enough is enough and it's time for a change in this community," she said.

Razzeto, who was endorsed by BNI, said the best thing to come out of the race was that Kootenai Health's message was sent - and received.

"Kootenai Health has a story to tell, and over the last two months I have been able to get out there and tell the story," she said. "More people know about how the hospital operates now, and that is a good thing."

Montgomery, who was endorsed by the Reagan Republicans, said despite her loss she still plans to stay involved with the hospital board by attending their meetings.

"We still have an open meetings law in Idaho, so I plan to start going to those meetings," she said.