Final Pepper-Heimlich results

With 100 percent of the vote in, David Pepper will become Hamilton County’s newest commissioner, winning by 14,412 votes.

Commissioner-elect Pepper’s win gives Democrats a majority on the three-member Hamilton County Board of Commission for the first time since 1962.

Pepper won 143,951 votes, or 52.6 percent.

His opponent, incumbent Republican Phil Heimlich, received 129,539 votes, or 47.4 percent.
Heimlich’s loss came despite his incumbency, Republicans being in the majority in Hamilton County and raising over $1 million.

Pepper raised over $800,000 for his campaign.

Hamilton County voters also voted down a proposed sales tax increase that would have paid for a new jai and approved two renewals of two existing special-use property taxes.

-- Issue 12, the proposal to raise the sales tax a quarter cent to pay for a $230 million jail and $30 million property tax rollback, lost by 14 percentage points – 153,244 (57.1 percent) against; 115,251 (42.9 percent) for.

-- The Children’s Services levy, providing foster care, adoptive and other services, won with 185,538 votes (68.2 percent) for and 86,607 (31.8 percent) against;

-- The Health and Hospitalization levy, paying for health care for the poor, easily won with 184,904 votes (68.2 percent) for and 86,106 votes (31.8 percent) against.