By Jeff Lehr
jlehr@joplinglobe.com
PINEVILLE, Mo. — Democrat Robert Evenson sneaked past Republican Gregg Sweeten by 18 votes in the race for the open McDonald County sheriff’s post Tuesday. An incumbent Republican on the County Commission won re-election, and an incumbent Democrat did not.
Evenson, 37, is a former sheriff in the county who lost a re-election bid to Republican Don Schlessman in 2004. Schlessman elected not to seek re-election this year and Sweeten, his 43-year-old chief deputy, ran on the Republican ticket instead.
Evenson, who has 20 years of law enforcement experience and has been working as a detective for the Barry County Sheriff’s Department, managed 3,974 votes to Sweeten’s 3,956. There were 20 write-in votes for other people than the two official candidates cast at the polls.
Sam Gaskill held on to his Eastern District seat on the McDonald County Commission, defeating Democratic challenger Loren Garren, of rural Goodman, with 59 percent of the vote. Republican McCaskill drew 2,568 votes to Garren’s 1,770.
But incumbent Democratic Commissioner Gayle Brock lost his re-election bid to GOP challenger Ronnie Walker, of Southwest City, in the Western District by 427 votes. Walker garnered 1,971 votes, or 56 percent, while Brock lagged behind at 1,544 votes.
Brock, who was appointed to the post in 2003, was elected in 2004 but was denied a second full term by voters in Tuesday’s presidential election that saw 62.7 percent turnout among registered voters in McDonald County.
In other races of interest in McDonald County, Republican Assessor Laura Pope, 52, of Noel, walked away with almost 66 percent of the vote in her race with Democrat Paul Sprenkle, 57, of Goodman. Pope won a third term by a vote of 5,227 to 2,697. This is the second consecutive election that Sprenkle has been defeated by Pope.
Incumbent Donna Underwood also won a third full term as public administrator. Underwood, a Republican, earned slightly more than 67 percent of the vote, defeating first-time Democratic challenger Joyce Cruikshank by a vote of 5,271 to 2,575, numbers that closely paralleled those of Pope in the assessor’s race.
The 54-year-old Underwood, from Pineville, was first appointed to the office in 1999 and then elected in 2000 and 2004.
But the largest percentage win in county contests came in the open coroner’s race, where Republican candidate Tracy Dowd beat Democrat Doc Halversen 5,729 to 2,059. Dowd, who defeated current Coroner B.J. Goodwin III in the GOP primary, garnered a decisive 73 percent of votes Tuesday.
Dowd, 43, of Noel, is a co-owner of Walker Dowd Funeral Home in Anderson. Halversen, 62, is a retired emergency services worker from Anderson.
Voters in Noel narrowly defeated two ballot propositions that sought to make the elected positions of police chief and collector appointed by the town’s board of aldermen.
Campaigns and Politics
Former McDonald County sheriff elected
Three incumbents returned to office
- Campaigns and Politics
-
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
- More Campaigns and Politics Headlines
-
Missouri voters endorse state Proposition C
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
