Republican businessman Phil Mitchell of Whitefish cruised to an easy victory in the Flathead County District 1 commissioner race, trouncing Democratic opponent Stacey Schnebel of Coram by a 66 percent to 34 percent margin.

Mitchell will join other Republican commissioners Pam Holmquist and Gary Krueger when he takes office Jan. 2.

Mitchell, 61, defeated incumbent Republican commissioner Cal Scott in the June primary, and ran a campaign that touted his public service and fiscal conservatism. He served four years on the Whitefish City Council and six years on the Whitefish School Board.

During an interview with the Daily Inter Lake in September, Mitchell said the driving question he always asks is: “Do we need it or do we just want it? And if we want it, how do we pay for it and how does it affect the taxpayer?”

Schnebel, 36, fought an uphill battle as a Democrat in a strong Republican county. She co-owns two businesses and is an active community leader in the Canyon area of the Flathead.

The two opponents conducted respectful campaigns, with a couple of political wrinkles that surfaced after the primary election.

Democrats chided Mitchell when he declined to debate Schnebel in a public venue. Mitchell and Schnebel attended candidate forums together, but never took the stage together in a full-blown debate.

Republicans accused Schnebel of illegal voting because she continued to vote in Whitefish city elections for several years after moving to Coram. 

County Attorney Ed Corrigan declined to prosecute Schnebel over the allegation because the statute of limitations has expired. 

Schnebel said she interacted with various county agencies that never informed her to update her voter registration.