COEUR d'ALENE - Amy Evans, Kiki Miller and incumbent Woody McEvers all cruised to victory by comfortable margins Tuesday night for Coeur d'Alene city council.

"Having the citizens have the trust in me and the other candidates who are elected tonight means the world," said Evans, who won council seat No. 2 by defeating Chris Fillios. "I look forward to listening to the citizens and working on projects that come across the council's desk."

Evans won 58 percent of the vote, taking 4,799 votes to Fillios' 3,464.

To the other candidates, she said, "Thank you for putting yourself out there and investing yourself in the city."

"We came up way short," Fillios said. "It was a slate win and a slate loss... I think the people just bought a different message."

He congratulated Evans, but said the result of the election will likely mean more taxes and spending, and more government.

He said the coalition that was built up in the past school board election benefited the winners in Coeur d'Alene in this election.

Miller beat Noel Adam and Gary Herfurth, taking just more than 56 percent of the vote. Miller captured 4,644 votes, to Adam's 3,219 and Herfurth's 383.

"The citizens' voices have to be heard," Miller said. "We need to continue to unite, regardless of the percentages that come in tonight."

"Everybody's got a passion for this community," Miller added, "and I think if they set aside differences and realize they all live here and that they're going to live here for a long time, what they need to do is work together."

Adam said the key to bringing everyone together after this race will be the city council putting the people first.

"When they do that, everything will fall into place," Adam said.

"I'll just try harder next time," said Herfurth.

Before votes were even being counted Tuesday, Herfurth predicted Miller had the race "in the bag."

He said he has a good feeling about everybody who ran.

"I believe they have the interests of the city at heart," Herfurth said.

McEvers said the city has been moving in a positive direction and been working in a transparent fashion. It's been everything critics said it's not, he said.

"All along the way, everybody was talking about things aren't right, they're wrong, wasn't treated right, should have let the people vote and things like that," McEvers said. "No offense to those guys, but I think that's wrong."

McEvers received just less than 53 percent of the vote, collecting 4,354 votes, while opponent Sharon Hebert received 3,238 votes and Amber Copeland received 656 votes.

He said he put himself out there and ran for another term because he liked the work and the people. He said voters liked that he is open-minded and willing to listen.

He said this was definitely an unusual election.

"First off, I was grouped with some great people," McEvers said. "We never grouped before, we always sort of stood alone back in the days."

Copeland said the political action committees' presence in the election didn't do the voters any favors.

"Each candidate should be looked at as an individual," Copeland said. "The PACs should only get to endorse one candidate."

Good job, voters

• Turnout in Tuesday's elections was 27.85 percent. That's an improvement over the 2011 elections, in which 19.08 percent turnout was registered countywide.