Lamanna Discusses Late-Breaking Surge in Commissioner Race

Aspiring Douglas County Commissioner Paula Lamanna is likely to advance to the general election in November.

Earlier in the week, it looked as though Lamanna would finish third in the District 2 primary. But on Wednesday, the self-described independent overtook Republican-leaning Katie L. Shafer, whom she now leads by about 20 votes.

Per the most recent tally, Lamanna has received 748 votes to Shafer's 727. Randy Agnew, formerly the mayor of Rock Island, outperformed both Lamanna and Shafer. His name will appear on the general election ballot; for now that's all we know definitively.

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"I don't know if I expected to [gain this much traction]," Lamanna says. "But I had hoped to! That was my desire - to reach as many people as possible."

Asked to size up her competition, Lamanna is more sportsmanlike than we've come to expect from office-seekers.

"What's great is that we're all really good friends," she says. "They're great humans. I have to tell you: they're absolutely beautiful people!"

That may be, but Lamanna's eclectic, outdoorsy background sets her apart, she says.

"I'm different in my thought processes; I'm different in my skillset and my experience both federally and at the state level." (KPQ dove into this at the outset of her campaign.)

As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 60 or so uncounted votes - a proverbial drop in the bucket, but enough to maybe alter the trajectory of the race. Lamanna's second-place finish isn't necessarily assured. She herself is careful not to overstate her momentum: "I'm not saying I've won it yet [laughs]!"

The final vote count is on Tuesday. The general election will be held on Nov. 5.