Republic incumbents sweep county, state races
November 4, 2020
Above, Governor Mike Parson speaks to a crowd of about 400 supporters at Monday’s election eve Republican rally at Cassville High School.
Shown, left to right are: former U.S. Attorney General, John Ashcroft; Secretary of State, Jay Ashcroft; Senator Roy Blunt; State Treasurer, Scott Fitzpatrick; Marine, John Brunner; Lt. Governor, Mike Kehoe; Ann Dorn; Missouri Attorney General, Eric Schmitt; Congressman Billy Long; and Missouri First Lady, Teresa Parson; front row: Governor Mike Parson.
Photo by Rachael Selby.
Shown, left to right are: former U.S. Attorney General, John Ashcroft; Secretary of State, Jay Ashcroft; Senator Roy Blunt; State Treasurer, Scott Fitzpatrick; Marine, John Brunner; Lt. Governor, Mike Kehoe; Ann Dorn; Missouri Attorney General, Eric Schmitt; Congressman Billy Long; and Missouri First Lady, Teresa Parson; front row: Governor Mike Parson.
Photo by Rachael Selby.
Sheila Harris
With all 17 precincts in Barry County reporting by 8:42 p.m., numbers showed that 22,210 registered Barry County voters had cast their ballots in Tuesday’s general election. Sixteen percent of those were cast by absentee ballot. Both the total number of voters and the number of absentee ballots represented historic figures for the past three presidential elections, and possibly the highest voter turnout ever.
While the percentage of registered voters who cast ballots Tuesday (70.89 percent) was topped in 2016 with a 72.54 percent turnout, the number of registered voters for the 2016 election was significantly less, with only 20,455.
The numbers indicate that interest in this election brought out people who might not otherwise have voted.
The numbers show, too, that Republican incumbent candidates were favored across the board in Barry County, and in Missouri as a whole, with most of them winning by a handy margin.
Barry County’s native son, Scott Fitzpatrick, a 2006 graduate of Cassville High School, made history locally by being not only the first resident to run for a statewide office, but also the first one to be elected to such. Appointed to the position of State Treasurer in January of 2019 by Governor Mike Parson, Fitzpatrick will continue in that capacity, this time receiving the favorable nod of the electorate.
Voters resoundingly favored President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence by 79.56 percent; Governor Parson was chosen over his opponents by 79.54 percent; Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe was received 80.32 percent of the vote, and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft grabbed 81.36 percent. State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick garnered the votes of 84.09 percent of the voters in his home county; Attorney General Eric Schmitt saw 81.5 percent of voters lean in his direction; while U.S. District 7 Representative Billy Long was reinstalled with 78.24 percent of voter approval.
In the Missouri State Represenative position for District 158, Scott Cupps was favored over Brenda McKinney by a margin of 62.66 percent.
In local races, the closest competition of the night was between Republican Gene Robbins and Democrat Wayne Hendrix for the Southern Commissioner position. Robbins took home 59.45 percent of the votes, to incumbent Hendrix’s 40.5 percent.
The coroner’s race, which perhaps grabbed the most attention, was handily taken by incumbent Gary Swearingen, who was appointed to the position by Governor Mike Parson after the death of his predecessor, Jim Fohn, earlier this year.
Swearingen (R) received 66.73 percent of the votes; his competitors Skip White (I) and Rusty Dilbeck (D) received 20.5 percent and 12.72 percent, respectively. There were eight write-in votes.
Supreme Court Breckenridge received a “yes” vote, with 80.61 percent, as did Southern District Appeals Judge Lynch, with 81.16 percent.
While voters in Barry County passed Constitutional Amendment 1 by a narrow margin, the initiative failed statewide. Amendment 1 would have placed term limits on four state positions, including lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and state auditor.
Amendment 3 passed in Barry County with 62.5 percent of voter approval. The amendment removes the non-partisan demographer position and places it in the hands of bipartisan legislative commissions for the purpose of determining voting districts.
In Purdy, 68.17 percent of voters opted to forego upcoming elections for positions which are unopposed.
With all 17 precincts in Barry County reporting by 8:42 p.m., numbers showed that 22,210 registered Barry County voters had cast their ballots in Tuesday’s general election. Sixteen percent of those were cast by absentee ballot. Both the total number of voters and the number of absentee ballots represented historic figures for the past three presidential elections, and possibly the highest voter turnout ever.
While the percentage of registered voters who cast ballots Tuesday (70.89 percent) was topped in 2016 with a 72.54 percent turnout, the number of registered voters for the 2016 election was significantly less, with only 20,455.
The numbers indicate that interest in this election brought out people who might not otherwise have voted.
The numbers show, too, that Republican incumbent candidates were favored across the board in Barry County, and in Missouri as a whole, with most of them winning by a handy margin.
Barry County’s native son, Scott Fitzpatrick, a 2006 graduate of Cassville High School, made history locally by being not only the first resident to run for a statewide office, but also the first one to be elected to such. Appointed to the position of State Treasurer in January of 2019 by Governor Mike Parson, Fitzpatrick will continue in that capacity, this time receiving the favorable nod of the electorate.
Voters resoundingly favored President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence by 79.56 percent; Governor Parson was chosen over his opponents by 79.54 percent; Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe was received 80.32 percent of the vote, and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft grabbed 81.36 percent. State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick garnered the votes of 84.09 percent of the voters in his home county; Attorney General Eric Schmitt saw 81.5 percent of voters lean in his direction; while U.S. District 7 Representative Billy Long was reinstalled with 78.24 percent of voter approval.
In the Missouri State Represenative position for District 158, Scott Cupps was favored over Brenda McKinney by a margin of 62.66 percent.
In local races, the closest competition of the night was between Republican Gene Robbins and Democrat Wayne Hendrix for the Southern Commissioner position. Robbins took home 59.45 percent of the votes, to incumbent Hendrix’s 40.5 percent.
The coroner’s race, which perhaps grabbed the most attention, was handily taken by incumbent Gary Swearingen, who was appointed to the position by Governor Mike Parson after the death of his predecessor, Jim Fohn, earlier this year.
Swearingen (R) received 66.73 percent of the votes; his competitors Skip White (I) and Rusty Dilbeck (D) received 20.5 percent and 12.72 percent, respectively. There were eight write-in votes.
Supreme Court Breckenridge received a “yes” vote, with 80.61 percent, as did Southern District Appeals Judge Lynch, with 81.16 percent.
While voters in Barry County passed Constitutional Amendment 1 by a narrow margin, the initiative failed statewide. Amendment 1 would have placed term limits on four state positions, including lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and state auditor.
Amendment 3 passed in Barry County with 62.5 percent of voter approval. The amendment removes the non-partisan demographer position and places it in the hands of bipartisan legislative commissions for the purpose of determining voting districts.
In Purdy, 68.17 percent of voters opted to forego upcoming elections for positions which are unopposed.
