Challenger Robin Benson narrowly defeated incumbent Lincoln County Clerk and Recorder Tammy Lauer in Tuesday’s election. 

In a race with more than 7,000 ballots cast, Benson edged Lauer by 203 votes. Three precincts were decided by four votes or less. Libby North and Troy North, the county’s 10th and 14th precincts, respectively, were decided by four votes. Libby East, the 11th precinct, went to Lauer by two votes — 256 to 254. 

Benson ran a campaign almost entirely predicated on the errors of her opponent. Lauer faced heavy public scrutiny late last year when a combination of county taxation errors were shown by The Western News to have cost taxpayers more than $3.5 million during the past 15 years. Voters appeared satisfied with Lauer’s apology and explanation by the time June’s primary election rolled around; Lauer outpolled Benson with 57 percent of the primary vote. But an aggressive campaign fueled by more than $6,000 of Benson’s own money earned Benson her current boss’ job. 

“It was a lot of hard work,” Benson said of travailing the campaign trail. “From all the forums to setting up booths at all the county festivals. I spoke to hundreds of people just going door-to-door.”

The tight defeat was a gut punch for Lauer. 

“I thoroughly loved this job for the last eight years,” Lauer said. “I’m sad, very sad to lose a great job.”

Benson said she will continue to serve her duty as a city councilwoman until the end of the year when she replaces Lauer. 

“I am genuinely grateful to the voters for their support,” Benson said. “I’m anxious and ready to serve, but in the meantime I want to work alongside the City Council appointee. It is very important to me to remain involved with the city.”

Libby Mayor Doug Roll will appoint Benson’s replacement. 

With seven weeks left in office, Lauer said she plans to address current projects such as eliminating an inactive water conservancy district. She said Benson will have a steep learning curve.

“This job is completely different from what she is doing right now,” Lauer said. “She will have to learn it all.”

Lauer credited her defeat to what she described as a dirty campaign.

“She got (the position) by breaking the law and playing dirty,” Lauer said of Benson. “She was bad-mouthing me for nine months.”

Lauer was referring to campaign signs posted by Benson proclaiming in large red letters her association with the Republican Party. Benson was the only county candidate whose signs proclaimed a party affiliation. Voters decided to make all county races nonpartisan in 2009. A statement issued last week by Montana Secretary of State’s Office Chief Legal Counsel Jorge Quintana led many to believe the signs were illegal. Quintana referenced Montana Code Annotated 13-10-602, which states candidates “may not use any word of the name of any existing political party or organization in the candidacy.”

No comparable ruling from the Commissioner of Political Practices, or any other body for that matter, explicitly states whether the signs violate law. Benson characterized the matter as a “so-called violation,” and said she was given bad advice from the Commissioner of Political Practices office. 

As for dirty politics, Benson said she is proud of her record.

“I never bashed or ran a negative campaign,” Benson said. “I don’t believe showing people real documents and numbers is the same as bad-mouthing.”

Lauer and Benson will work in the same office, seated about 15 feet from each other, for the rest of the year.