Yesterday’s Primary Election attracted 33.4% of the 5,450 registered voters in Daviess County with most choosing a Democrat ballot loaded with four local contests of particular interest.
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The Democrats’ choice for nominee for Daviess County Circuit Clerk proved to have the closest race. Sue Bird defeated Pam Howard by a 127-vote margin to earn the right to face Republican candidate Nancy Garnett in the upcoming November election. The winner in November’s General Election will succeed retiring circuit clerk Linda Adkins.
Mrs. Bird carried all voting precincts yesterday, except for Jameson, by slim margins. Mrs. Bird won the Union precinct (Gallatin) by just six votes and Jamesport by only eight votes. Coffey and voters casting absentee ballots provided Mrs. Bird with much of her victory margin.
Lance Critten defeated incumbent Democrat David Tolen for the position of Presiding Commissioner, 858-674. Mr. Critten carried six of the seven precincts, including a 67-vote margin in Union precinct (Gallatin) and a 79-vote margin at Jamesport. Four other incumbent presiding commissioners in Northwest Missouri also lost their positions in yesterday’s primary, in Grundy, Harrison, Holt and Nodaway Counties.
The decisive 184-vote margin positions Mr. Critten to face Republican David Michael in November. Neither Critten nor Michael has held county office before.
Incumbent Democrat officeholder Georgia Maxwell defeated challenger Lori McLaughlin for Recorder of Deeds by a landslide. Maxwell swept all voting precincts to tally a winning margin of 477 votes. There is no declared opponent to face Mrs. Maxwell in the November election.
An overwhelming voter count determined the race for the county’s prosecuting attorney. Challenger Annie Gibson defeated incumbent Democrat Julia Filley by a more than a 2-to-1 margin: Gibson’s 1,080 to Filley’s 424. There is no declared opponent to face Ms. Gibson in the November election.
Daviess County voters echoed the statewide decision to continue the sales tax for soil conservation, state parks and historic sites. Amendment No. 1 passed in Missouri by a tally of 483,889 yes votes to 189,976 no votes. This represents about a 70% majority favoring the continuation of the 1/10th-percent sales/use tax for the next 10 years.
Yesterday’s outcome sets the stage for a confrontation as expected between incumbent Republican Jim Talent and Democrat Claire McCaskill for a seat in the U.S. Senate. Republican incumbent Sam Graves will be challenged by Democrat Sarah Jo Shettles in November’s election for 6th District Congressman.
Other races which should generate interest next November include 12th District State Senator where Democrat and local physician James Neely faces Republican Brad Lager. Also of interest will be the race for 3rd District State Representative between Democrat incumbent Jim Whorton and Republican challenger Casey Guernsey.