Almost 30 percent of eligible Newton County voters turned out for Tuesday’s primary election.
Out of 38,601 registered voters living in the county, 11,455 cast ballots.
Bill Reiboldt beat fellow Republican Lynn Otey by 2,188 total votes in the GOP primary for state representative of the 130th District, which encompasses very roughly the western halves of Newton and McDonald Counties. Messages left for Reiboldt on his cell phone and home phone were not returned as of press time.
Reiboldt faces no political party opposition in November’s general election.
In the GOP primary for the 131st State Representative District, roughly northern and eastern Newton County and eastern and southern McDonald County, Bill Lant won the race with 3,067 votes. Next in line was Bill Buening with 1,063 votes and David Liveoak with 538 votes.
Marilyn Ruestman, presently state representative for the 131st District, won the Republican primary for Newton County Presiding Commissioner, with 6,125 votes, over Buzz Ball who had 2,079 votes, Rick McCully with 1,129 votes and Clarence Nowak with 544 votes.
Ruestman now challenges Democrat Robert Brumback and Libertarian Roxie Fausnaught this November.
Pending write-in opposition in the general election, Patty Krueger will be the next Circuit Court Clerk for Newton County, garnering 4,201 votes in the Republican primary, compared to 2,500 for Phillip VanWinkle and 2,406 for Tabitha Tichenor.
A $1 per $100 of assessed valuation tax levy on real and personal property in Neosho failed at the ballot box by 591 votes out of 2,669 ballots cast (see related story).
Diamond city voters approved, 119-89, a one-half cent sales tax for In the state and national primary races, Newton County voters liked Republican Roy Blunt (79.5 percent) and Democrat Robin Carnahan (82.6 percent) for U.S. Senate; Republican Gary Nodler (35.59 percent) and Democrat Tim Davis (52.70 percent) for U.S. 7th District Congressman; and Republican Tom Schweich (63.47 percent) and Democrat Susan Montee (89.76 percent) for State Auditor.
Newton Countians also voted in favor of Missouri’s Proposition C, the “Healthcare Freedom Act” which negates some aspects of the new federal healthcare laws, by 9,042 to 2,126.
Statewide, Proposition C passed with 71.1 percent of the vote.
