WINFIELD - After the polls closed on Tuesday evening, Bruce Knell made his way around Putnam County picking up signs for his county Board of Education campaign. Knell had no idea he was about to receive the highest number of votes among the four candidates, and defeat an incumbent board member - something that hadn't happened since 2010 in a Putnam school board race.
In total, Bruce Knell received 7,180 votes in the race for two open spots on the school board. Incumbent Sam Sentelle, a former Putnam schools superintendents and three time board member, received 5,274 votes to secure the second open seat.
Incumbent Jack Coyner, who served on the board three times with Sentelle, received 4,710 votes, while challenger Diana McCallister received 5,477.
Knell and Sentelle will begin their four-year term on July 1.
"I want to thank Mr. Coyner for his many years of service, as well as Mrs. McCallister," Knell said.
Knell has served the district in a wide array of positions over the last 40 years. He's been a teacher, a coach and athletic trainer.
"I have to say, I'm surprised and so thankful that the voters came out and supported me in this race," Knell said. "I think all three people who ran, it was an honor and privilege [to run with them]. I felt honored just to be involved in the process with those candidates."
He also thanked all the people who helped him, whether it be friends campaigning for him, people giving him advice or residents listening to him as he went door to door.
Coyner said he's proud of what he's helped accomplish as a board member for the past 12 years and enjoyed serving the district.
"When I ran the first time, my goal was to get a new school for Buffalo High School and Poca Middle School. As it turns out, we did a lot better than that," Coyner said. "Just about every building had something done to it to enhance its usability. That was a real accomplishment for everybody, not just me, board members and the staff - that was quite an accomplishment."
Other contested races in Putnam County included the Republican County Commission primary. Ronald Reagan Foster won the Republican primary with 3,798 votes. Joseph Tyree and Dusty Hurley followed with 2,506 and 1,745 votes, respectively.
Foster will go up against Democrat Mark Whitt in November to replace retiring commissioner Joe Haynes.
Jean Anne Luikart won the race for magistrate in the county's Division 2. She received 8,135 votes to opponent Earl Gorrell's 4,025 votes. A third candidate in that race, Troy Sexton, was ordered removed from the ballot by the state Supreme Court early in the campaign.
Out of the 37,628 registered voters in Putnam County, 15,897 people cast a ballot in Tuesday's primary election.
Circuit Clerk Ronnie Matthews, County Clerk Brian Wood and Prosecuting Attorney Mark Sorsaia all ran uncontested in the election. Putnam County Sheriff Steve DeWeese and Assessor Sherry Hayes also ran uncontested. All are Republicans.
Reach Laura Haight at laura.haight@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4843 or follow @laurahaight_ on Twitter.