Approximately 29 percent of the county’s registered voters traveled to polling precincts in Tuesday’s primary election.
State Rep. Brad Hudson claimed a narrow victory over State Rep. Travis Smith to take the Republican nomination for Senate District 33 in Texas County. Smith won in Douglas, Howell, Ozark and Shannon counties. Hudson racked up big margins in Stone and Taney counties to take the race. The tally was a 18,488-16,656 final unofficial count. Hudson will not face an opponent in the November election. Sen. Karla Eslinger, R-Wasola, did not seek re-election. She was named commissioner of education in Missouri.
Proposition Wildcat Pride – a proposed 49-cent per $100 of assessed valuation increase in the Licking School District’s operating tax levy ceiling – did not pass, with nearly 54% voting no.
County Clerk Peggy Seyler said tabulations went smooth; the final counts were available just an hour-and-a-half after polls closed Aug. 6.
TEXAS COUNTY RACES
Texas County Sheriff Scott Lindsey received 3,498 votes to defeat Jordan Goodwin (439) and Rex Churchill (289) to retain his position. John Casey (1,297) defeated Mark Forbes (873) to retain his Texas County Commission District 1 position.
MISSOURI LEGISLATURE RACES
Incumbent State Rep. Bennie Cook received approximately 83% of the vote in Texas County, and 77% across the district to receive the Republican nomination for District 143. He will face Bernadette Holzer (D) for another two-year term in November.
U.S. HOUSE RACE
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Jason Smith received approximately 82% of the District 8 vote in Missouri to receive the Republican nomination. He will face Randi McCallian (D) who received the Democratic nomination with 70% of the vote.
STATEWIDE RACES
Mike Kehoe (R) and Crystal Quade (D) won their respective nominations for governor. Other contested race winners included Dave Wasinger (R) and Richard Brown (D) for lieutenant governor, Denny Hoskins (R) and Barbara Phifer (D) for secretary of state, Vivek Malek (R) for state treasurer and Andrew Bailey (R) for attorney general.
OTHER MATTERS
Constitutional Amendment No. 1 – which would have allowed the General Assembly to exempt from property tax all real and personal property used primarily for the care of a child outside of his or her home – did not pass. Constitutional Amendment No. 4 – which allows an exception to allow for a law that increases minimum funding, if before Dec. 31, 2026, for a police force established by a state board of police commissioners to ensure they have additional resources to serve their communities – passed.