Two incumbents were re-elected to the Mandan School Board, along with two newcomers.

Tim Tausend and Jill Goetz, both incumbents, Beth Allen and Karen Johner were elected to the four open positions.

Tausend and Goetz were the top two vote-getters for two three-year terms up for election. They ran against Dustin Gawrylow and Susan Beehler.

Tausend received about 36 percent of the vote, Goetz received about 30 percent of the vote, Gawrylow received about 17 percent of the vote and Beehler received about 16 percent of the vote.

"I'm very pleased … I'm pleased people have confidence in me," Tausend said.

He will start his second term on the board. Tausend, 48, works as a human resource officer at the Youth Correctional Center. He and his wife, Carla, have three children, Brianna, Skylar and Dmitri.

Goetz was appointed to the board in 2008 when former board member Denis Montplaisir resigned. Goetz, 38, is the marketing and public relations director at the Bismarck Cancer Center. She has two children, Courtney and Connor. Goetz could not be reached for comment. Two messages were left at Goetz's home.

Gawrylow said he had hoped that the Mandan residents' concern about property taxes the past few years would have given him greater support.

Beehler said the candidates did well.

Beth Allen ran unopposed for the three-year rural representative term. She received about 99 percent of the vote. There were about four write-in candidates.

"I'm just excited to get going," she said.

Allen, 38, is an administrative assistant and volunteer coordinator. She and her husband, Brad, have four children.

There were two years remaining on Montplaisir's term. Goetz served one year, and the third year was up for election. Karen Johner received about 56 percent of the vote and her challenger Karmen Siirtola received about 43 percent of the vote.

"I was very happy about this," Johner said. "Our first meeting is the 14th and I am looking forward to it."

Johner, 57, is president of North Dakota Guaranty and Title Co. She and her husband, William V. Johner, have four children, Lance Geving, Will Johner, Denese McLeish and Penny Johner Loo.

Siirtola had well wishes for the board.

"I just wish the board well," she said. "I hope they make sound judgements for the long haul."

The election was held in September instead of June because of an error with the filing deadline for the candidates. The votes from Tuesday will be canvassed at a special board meeting at 4:30 p.m. Friday at the Central Administration Building. The new board members will start Sept. 14, when the board meets at 5:30 p.m. at the Central Administration Building.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@;bismarcktribune.com.)