Republicans stole the show at the polls yesterday, winning races for Missouri positions. It was an atmosphere reflective of Washington, D.C., where the GOP gained majority control of both chambers of Congress.
U.S. Rep. Billy Long, R-Mo., retained his District 7 seat with 104,027 votes, or 63.5 percent. Democratic challenger Jim Evans took 47,267 votes, or 28.8 percent of Missouri votes, according to the preliminary election results from the
Missouri secretary of state. In a news release this morning, Secretary of State Jason Kander noted the statewide unofficial voter turnout was 35.2 percent.
Long’s win was one of many for Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives, which maintained its GOP majority. The U.S. Senate, meanwhile, was seized by Republicans, who won enough seats to grab a majority, according to
Fox Business.
Only two Democrats of Missouri’s eight House seats up for grabs brought home wins yesterday. Incumbent Lacy Clay won 73 percent of the votes in District 1, and Emanuel Cleaver II, also an incumbent, narrowly won with 51.5 percent of the votes, according to the secretary of state.
Springfield-area winners for seats in the Missouri General Assembly also largely belong to the Republican party.
Incumbent Charlie Norr, D-Springfield, was an exception, keeping his seat with 2,100 votes, or 56 percent, against Republican candidate Fred Ellison, according to preliminary results at
GreeneCountyMo.org. Election results are not final until certified by the county clerk.
Projected Springfield-area winners include:
- Rep. Sonya Anderson, R-Springfield, 5,576 votes, or 72.9 percent;
- Rep. Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, 5,211 votes, or 64.2 percent;
- Rep. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, 4,695 votes, or 57.9 percent;
- Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Springfield, unopposed;
- Rep. Kevin Austin, R-Springfield, unopposed;
- Rep. Jeff Messenger, R-Battlefield, unopposed;
- Rep. Jered Taylor, R-Nixa, unopposed;
- Rep. Lynn Morris, R-Nixa, 7,150 votes, or 79.3 percent;
- Rep. Lyndall Fraker, R-Marshfield, 7,805 votes, or 73.2 percent;
- Rep. Sue Entlicher, R-Bolivar, unopposed;
- Rep. Sandy Crawford, R-Buffalo, 6,282 votes, or 83 percent;
- Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield, unopposed;
- Sen. Jay Wasson, R-Nixa, unopposed; and
- Sen. Mike Parson, R-Bolivar, unopposed.
In Greene County, Republican Bob Cirtin got the nod as presiding commissioner with 39,448 votes, or 63.6 percent, over Democratic competitor Donna Bergen. Republican Tom Barr was elected as Greene County circuit clerk with 45,446 votes, or 77.4 percent, and Republican Shane Schoeller will become Greene County clerk with 40,795 votes, or 65.9 percent.
Of the four constitutional amendments on the ballot, Missouri voters approved only half.
Constitutional Amendment No. 3 was voted down with 1.1 million votes, or 76 percent, according to the secretary of state’s site. The language would have required teachers to be evaluated on a standards-based performance evaluation system to allow each district to continue receiving state and local funding.
Amendment No. 6, which would have created an early voter system, also failed.
Amendment 10, which asked voters to decide whether lawmakers can override the governor’s decision to freeze or slow spending in the state budget, passed with 788,930 votes, or 56.8 percent.
Amendment No. 2, dealing with evidence in sex crime cases, also passed.[[In-content Ad]]
