By Derek Spellman
dspellman@joplinglobe.com
PINEVILLE, Mo. — With turnout at just over 23 percent, McDonald County voters on Tuesday decided contested primaries for sheriff, County Commission seats and coroner.
Eight candidates filed between the Democratic and Republican primaries to replace Sheriff Don Schlessman, who is not seeking re-election.
Gregg Sweeten outdistanced five Republican challengers to win his party’s nomination for sheriff, finishing with 900 votes. He was followed by John Bunch, 536 votes; Brandon Beshears, 444 votes; Thomas Coble, 89 votes; Ivan Russell, 68 votes; and Luap McKeever, 20 votes.
Sweeten, 43, of Pineville, is currently chief deputy in McDonald County and director of the county’s emergency management services.
Krystin Lewis, of Pineville, said she has known Sweeten for years and that she knows he has character. That was why she cast her vote for him.
“I think he would be a great sheriff,” she said outside the polling place at Pineville Christian Church.
Sweeten will take on Robert M. Evenson in the general election. Evenson on Tuesday edged out rival Jeff Sutherland for the Democratic nomination by a margin of 513 to 246.
Evenson, 37, served as sheriff of McDonald County from 2001 to 2004 after winning the November 2000 election. He lost to Schlessman in 2004.
Experience was the chief reason Bob Mears, of rural Pineville, said he supported Evenson.
“He has been there before,” said Mears, who also cited Evenson’s willingness to work with other law-enforcement agencies and his professional demeanor.
Between the two parties, a total of seven candidates were in the running for the Eastern District commission seat.
In that race, Republican incumbent Sam Gaskill moved one step closer to a second term after fending off four challengers. Gaskill, 76, was first elected to the commission in 2004.
Gaskill finished with 405 votes, followed by Joe Stephens, 276 votes; Darrel Watson, 148 votes; Clarence Scott, 147 votes; and Beverly Longnecker, 123 votes.
Gaskill will face Loren Garren in the November general election. Garren, 61, of Goodman, beat Scott Sanders for the Democratic nomination, 221 to 212.
In the race for Western District commissioner, Ronald Walker won the Republican nod and the right to take on Democratic incumbent Gayle Brock in November. Brock was unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Walker captured 498 votes, compared with 237 and 162 votes for rivals Paul Gardner and Milton Wolf, respectively. Walker, 59, of Southwest City, is a cattle rancher who served two terms on the McDonald County School Board.
In the race for coroner, challenger Tracy Dowd beat incumbent B.J. Goodwin III for the Republican nomination. Dowd finished with 1,083 votes to Goodwin’s 950. Dowd will face Democratic nominee Doc Halverson, who was unopposed in Tuesday’s primary.
Dowd, 43, of Noel, is the co-owner of Walker Dowd Funeral Home and worked for the McDonald County coroner’s office for 10 years. Goodwin was appointed to the position of coroner in 2006 to fill out the term left by the retirement of Gale Duncan.
Also Tuesday, voters in Anderson approved a proposal to continue a 35-cent levy per $100 assessed valuation for another five years by a margin of 200 to 76. The measure needed a simple majority.
The property tax is for general revenue, and has been used to finance a variety of operations, including police and fire services, the city’s utility bills and street lighting.
A 35-cent tax levy translates to an annual tax of $66.50 on a home with a market value of $100,000.
By the numbers
There are a total of 12,674 registered voters in McDonald County, and 2,933 of them cast a ballot in Tuesday’s election, for a turnout of 23.14 percent.
Campaigns and Politics
Fields narrowed for county offices
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Missouri voters endorse state Proposition C
Missouri voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a key provision of President Barack Obama’s health care law, sending a clear message of discontent to Washington and Democrats less than 100 days before the midterm elections. With about 70 percent of the vote counted late Tuesday, nearly three-quarters of voters had supported the measure.
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Neosho voters say ‘no’ to property tax
A proposal to levy a property tax to help bail the city of Neosho out of its financial meltdown failed to muster even 40 percent approval from voters in Tuesday’s election.
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Jasper County choose incumbents for posts
Voters in Jasper County on Tuesday tabbed the incumbents for two positions, Linda Williams as circuit clerk and John Bartosh for the Republican nomination as presiding commissioner.
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Pittsburg voters reject sales tax increase
A proposed quarter-cent city sales tax increase in Pittsburg for street repairs was defeated Tuesday by voters, 1,243 to 1,031. The margin was 55 percent “no” votes to 45 percent “yes” votes. The totals are based on complete, but unofficial, returns from the Crawford County clerk’s office.
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Ruestman receives GOP nod; Krueger prevails in circuit clerk bid
Republicans in Newton County on Tuesday overwhelmingly selected a state lawmaker to be their nominee for presiding county commissioner, according to complete but unofficial returns. Current state Rep. Marilyn Ruestman, of Joplin, with a total of 6,125 votes, led a field of four GOP hopefuls.
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Bill White beats Shelly Dreyer for nomination
An intense and costly battle for the Republican nomination for Missouri’s 129th District House seat concluded Tuesday with a lopsided victory for William “Bill” White, who is seeking to fill the seat being vacated by Ron Richard.
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Moran holds lead in tight Kansas race
Western Kansas U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran held the lead over Todd Tiahrt late Tuesday night in a contentious battle for the Republican nomination for a U.S. Senate seat from Kansas.
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Calloway defeats Titterington in 3rd District GOP race
Terry Calloway defeated Chad Titterington Tuesday in the Republican primary race for the 3rd District seat of the Kansas House of Representatives.
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Former legislator leads race for Senate seat
A former legislator and sheriff from the Bolivar area had a wide lead for the Republican nomination for the Missouri Senate District 28 seat, according to incomplete returns Tuesday night. Mike Parson, 54, of Bolivar, the former state representative in House District 133, was the leader with 12,723 votes.
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Long, Eckersley win nods in 7th district
Billy Long, a Springfield auctioneer, real estate salesman and former radio talk show host, won the Republican nomination for Congress from Missouri’s 7th District on Tuesday, while the Democratic nod went to Scott Eckersley, an attorney from Kimberling City who at one time worked for former GOP Gov. Matt Blunt.
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