Douglas County Commissioner Nancy Thellman.

Democrat Nancy Thellman comfortably won Tuesday a third term to the 2nd District Douglas County Commission seat, defeating independent Jesse Brinson Jr., 9,878-5,570.

Thellman led throughout the night as the votes came in from the district that includes eastern Lawrence precincts, Baldwin City, Eudora and the rural areas of east Douglas County.

Thellman ran on her experience and accomplishments of the past eight years, including taking the lead in the creation of the Douglas County Heritage Grant program, which provides grants for the preservation of historic and natural sites, and the Douglas County Food Policy Council. She said voters rewarded her work on their behalf, despite her opponent’s suggestion she and other commissioners were out of touch with constituents.

Incumbent Douglas County Commissioner Nancy Thellman, right, and County Commission candidate Michelle Derusseau greet each other at the Douglas County Courthouse during vote tabulation on Tuesday night, Nov. 8, 2016.

“I think as someone who has served on the County Commission from this district for eight year and lived in the district for 16 years, I have a solid relationship with people in the district and county in general,” she said. “Jesse worked hard,” she said of her opponent, Brinson.

Political newcomer Brinson also separated himself from Thellman’s support for the expansion of the Douglas County Jail and her support with the other two members of the Douglas County Commission for linking a future funding referendum of the jail expansion with the proposed mental health crisis intervention center. Thellman reaffirmed Tuesday night her campaign position that the commission seated in January would make the final decision on building the two facilities and how any funding question or questions would be presented to county voters. That work will continue when the new County Commission has been seated and the “dust settled,” she said.

Her comfortable victory was an indication that county voters were willing to consider the need for the jail expansion that she and the other current commissioners support, she said.

“My hope is we are successful with the jail and the crisis intervention center, because both are needed,” she said. “I think what’s clear is no one group owns the issue. I look forward to the Douglas County Commission getting the message out and letting the entire county make the decision.”