The Associated Press
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri’s current attorney general claimed an early victory Tuesday in his gubernatorial race, but the race to replace him was far closer.
Democrat Chris Koster held a 22,000-vote lead over Republican Michael Gibbons with about 41 percent of the state’s precincts reporting. It was the state’s first open attorney general race in 16 years because Democrat Jay Nixon skipped re-election to run for governor.
The campaign for the office has been rancorous. It started with a contentious Democratic primary that didn’t end until more than a month after the primary election because the runner-up requested a re-count.
In the campaign’s final weeks, Gibbons and Koster launched a full-blown ad war against each other.
Koster accused Gibbons of voting for more lenient prison sentences and supporting clemency for a murderer. Gibbons, of Kirkwood, criticized Koster for a 1991 arrest for writing three bad checks totaling less than $20 and claimed Koster once accepted campaign donations that could be tied to the mob.
Koster, a former Cass County prosecutor who lives in Raymore, switched from the Republican to the Democratic Party last year and was dogged throughout the primary by ethics complaints against his fund raising and negative ads funded by his ex-wife.
In the lieutenant governor’s race, the incumbent, Peter Kinder, held a 71,000 vote lead over Democratic challenger Sam Page, of Creve Coeur.
Kinder, of Cape Girardeau, spent two weeks this year lining up support for a gubernatorial run before abruptly switching course. When he instead decided to run for re-election, he went on the offensive even before Page had won the Democratic primary. In their first debate, Kinder called Page a hypocrite who has cast self-serving votes.
Page has accused Kinder of misusing state funds to support pet projects, such as a professional bicycle race, and of allowing state staff to do political work.
In the state treasurer’s race, Republican Brad Lager, of Savannah, led Democrat Clint Zweifel, of Florissant, by 16,000 votes.
And Democratic Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, of St. Louis had the largest lead in early returns, claiming 62 percent of the votes cast in her re-election bid against Republican Mitch Hubbard, of Fulton.
Campaigns and Politics
Incumbent lieutenant governor, secretary of state hold leads
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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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