Sager, Black Are Winners In Local Contested Races

There will be a new first district associate county commissioner come Jan. 1, however, just who it will be won’t be decided until the November General Election.
Current commissioner Gene Wyant lost his bid for re-election in Tuesday’s Republican primary as challenger Don Sager claimed the GOP candidate spot, 474-379. Wyant is completing his fourth term as county commissioner.
Sager will now face Jimmy Martin in the November General Election. Martin will have his name on the ballot as an independent candidate, having petitioned in June with the county clerk’s office for that right. There is no Democrat candidate in the November election.
In the only other contested race on the local ballot, Rusty Black of Chillicothe was the choice of voters in Grundy County and throughout the Seventh District, which includes both Livingston and Linn counties. Black won the Republican nomination for Seventh District State Representative over John Myers, 4,105-645. In Grundy County, Black was the favorite by a vote of 1,265 to 235. Black will have no opposition on the November General Election ballot as there was no Democratic candidate.
Unopposed candidates winning nomination for their office (all are Republican) and their vote totals include Second District County Commissioner Joe Brinser, 619; Sheriff Rodney Herring, 1,270; Collector/Treasurer Barbara Harris, 1,410; Assessor Kathy Veatch, 1,390; Public Administrator Jill Eaton, 1,420; and Coroner Dewayne Slater, 1,426. They will also be unopposed in November as there were no candidates on the Democratic ballot.
Grundy County voters also supported current U.S. Congressman Sam Graves in his bid to capture the Republican nomination. In the November election, he will be facing David Blackwell, who won the Democratic nomination, and Russ Lee Monchil, who will be the Libertarian candidate.
Voter turnout in Grundy County was at 27.66 percent, with 1,716 persons going to the polls.
Statewide, Republican Eric Greitens will be taking on Democrat Chris Koster in November’s election for governor. Cisse Spragins will be the Libertarian nominee on the ballot.
Other state office nominees include Mike Parson (R), Russ Carnahan (D) and Steve Hedrick (L), lieutenant governor; Jay Ashcroft (R), Robin Smith (D) and Chris Morrill (L), secretary of state; Eric Schmitt (R), Judy Baker (R) and Sean O’Toole (L), treasurer; and Josh Hawley (R) and Teresa Hensley (D), attorney general.
Roy Blunt won big in his run to be the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate. He will be facing Democrat Jason Kander, Libertarian Jonathon Dine and Constitution candidate Fred Ryman in November.
There were contested races in other area counties as well.
In Mercer County, Jerry Allen won a four-person race on the Republican side to fill the unexpired term of presiding county commissioner. He will face Duane Hobbs, who was the lone Democratic candidate for the position. Susan Moore won the county collector/treasurer nomination over Keri Priest on the Republican side and will face no opposition in November. Kelly Judd was selected as the GOP nominee for public administrator, defeating Dana Stark, and will also have no November opposition.
Daviess County voters chose David Cox as the Republican candidate for District 1 Associate County Commissioner. He defeated David Holcomb, Andrew Adkison and Mark Dylan Leeper. There is no Democrat candidate.
Josh Eckerson won the Republican nomination for Harrison County Sheriff, defeating former deputy Randal Francis, and will be unopposed in the November election. Rick Smith defeated Alan Hamilton and Mick Parkhurst to win the Republican nomination for north district county commissioner. He will face Democrat Bob McCoy in November. The coroner’s post went to Republican Zach Wilson, who defeated Art Maxwell. There was no Democratic candidate.
Livingston County voters chose Republican Jim Grozinger and Democrat Alvin Thompson to face each other for eastern district county commissioner. Grozinger defeated Phil Minnick while Thompson won over Steve Waits. Dave Mapel won a three-way race for the Republican nomination as western district commissioner, defeating Andy McDaniel and Gordon Jones. He will have no opposition in November.