Abcarian files for Tighe's seat

Mike Potter
Staff Writer

Former Flume editor Lora Abcarian filed Nov. 15 to run for Park County Commissioner against incumbent District 1 Commissioner John Tighe, according to a candidacy affidavit.

She made the decision after being asked to run by many residents for years, Abcarian said.

"When I was editor of The Flume, people were asking me to run," she said.

She declined the invitation because she felt it would cause a conflict with her position with the newspaper.

Her announcement came on Nov. 15 when she filed the candidate affidavit.

"I look at running as a way of building on what I was doing with The Flume," she said.

Her top priority would be making government more transparent, an issue she championed while she held the editor position.

She said she feels there is a good chance she could win running as an independent.

According to Park County Clerk and Recorder Debra Green, the last independent to win a county commissioner seat was Richard Egloff in District 3 in 1989.

Green said Abcarian can start getting signatures on May 2, 2008, for the election, but Abcarian doesn't plan on sitting around until then.

"I'm going to spend the winter doing research and coming up with [issues important to voters]," she said.

Tighe said he looked forward to the race and said it would only be good for the county.

"This is what the county needs," he said about the race. "It only makes the system better."

Issues the candidates would be focusing on would be getting grant money and the communication systems within Park County, according to Tighe.

Then there is the ever-present Road and Bridge Department issue, he said.

"Road and Bridge is an issue and it's always going to be there," he said. "People want a good Road and Bridge Department."

He said the issue with Road and Bridge had to do with the funding streams into the department, not the employees.

"There are a lot of good people working for Road and Bridge," he said.

He described his relationship with Abcarian when she was editor as a good, professional relationship.

"It'll be a good race and it will be good for the county," he said.

As of Nov. 19, no other candidates had filed to run for the District 1 seat or for the spot County Commissioner Leni Walker is vacating.

Walker is reaching her term limit in 2008, according to Green. Park County commissioners are limited to two four-year terms.

Abcarian began as the staff writer for The Flume in 2000 and moved into the editor's position in 2002. She left The Flume in March 2006.