By Stephen Ward

An incumbent and a challenger have won the Douglas County Commission seats.

Incumbent Nancy McDermid is the winner in the race for county commissioner of District 4, defeating challenger Lawrence Howell with 51.2 percent of the vote with all the votes counted. However, these are unofficial results until certified.

This District 4 seat is considered the Lake Tahoe seat even though the person does not have to reside at the lake. McDermid lives in the Carson Valley, while Howell lives in Stateline.

Nancy McDermid

This will be McDermid’s second term as county commissioner.

McDermid shared her appreciation with Lake Tahoe News after the final count came in.

“It’s been a long year,” she said. “I’m very honored and humbled to be elected once again to represent the people of Douglas County.”

The re-elected commissioner went on to discuss the parallels between her experience in the lodging business and the priorities she has for the coming term.

“Lodging properties provide the same amenities, so it really comes down to serving the people,” she said. “That’s what I’m here to do. We need to meet the challenges Douglas County faces and work together with the board, staff … to craft solutions to the problems we face.”

McDermid, 67, cites cooperation as the main reason she was able to balance the 2010-11 budget. She believes the county’s tourism infrastructure needs to be vastly improved and aspires to make public transit a vital component of transportation on the South Shore, even though the transit agency she was chairwoman of is now in bankruptcy.

McDermid spent the majority of her night making stops at various locations, such as the Republican headquarters and Doppelgangers Brewery and Grill in Carson City.

Lee Bonner has unofficially won the District 2 seat with 50.72 percent over incumbent David James Brady.

Bonner, a 51-year-old Minden resident for more than five years, told Lake Tahoe News he was pleased with the results as he arrived home after spending the night with roughly 60 supporters and close friends at the Tahoe Ridge Winery in Minden.

“First off, I’d like to say I’m very humbled the people of Douglas County have trusted me to be their commissioner,” he said. “It has meant a lot to me. I’ve only been here about five years, and to get the people’s vote … it means a lot.”

During the interview, Bonner also thanked Brady for the five years he spent as commissioner, wishing him the best in his future endeavors.

Bonner campaigned on creating jobs as a focal point, as well as promoting education and dealing with the state Legislature when it reconvenes in February.

Brady was appointed to the Douglas County Commission for District 2 in 2005 by the late Kenny Guinn, and was elected to the position in 2006.

The winners will take office in January.