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Marilyn Ruestman won by a fair landslide Tuesday night in the Republican primary race for Newton County Presiding Commissioner.
She will now face Democrat Robert Brumback and Libertarian Roxie Fausnaught in November’s general election.
In a primary election that saw a total county-wide voter turnout of almost 30 percent, Ruestman garnered 6,125 votes in the GOP primary contest, followed by Buzz Ball with 2,079 votes, Rick McCully with 1,129 votes and Clarence Nowak finishing last with 544 votes.
Ruestman joked Tuesday night that her first order of business was “going fishing tomorrow.”
She said she had had “the heebie-jeebies” about the race for the past three days.
“I feel very happy that it’s over and I’m very pleased that the people of Newton County have made the decision that I can do the job,” Ruestman said. “And I’ll do what I’ve always said. I’ll work very hard.
“I won’t make everyone happy, but I’ll work hard and I really will try to listen to everyone.”
Ruestman said she would finish out her term as state representative of the 131st District, which covers northern and eastern Newton County, as well as roughly half of McDonald County, but would try to get some in-house training with the sitting county commissioners before she took on her new job in January, if elected in the general election in November.
“When I went to the Missouri House of Representatives, I took a session to just sit and listen and learn, and I think I’ll have to do that here,” Ruestman said. “I don’t want to jump to conclusions about what a problem or solution is.”
Ruestman said that after she takes the Presiding Commissioner seat, if elected in November, she would like to hold routine listening posts at different locations around the county. She noted, however, that she is going to ask Newton County residents not to bring forward a problem unless they can also think of a solution. Also, anonymous complaints will probably go to the trash can, she said.
“I’ll look anyone in the eye and we can do business, but I don’t like the anonymous game playing,” Ruestman said. “And I don’t want to carry something on and on. I want to know what your problem is, but don’t bring me your problem if you can’t help me with it.”
Marilyn Ruestman won by a fair landslide Tuesday night in the Republican primary race for Newton County Presiding Commissioner.
She will now face Democrat Robert Brumback and Libertarian Roxie Fausnaught in November’s general election.
In a primary election that saw a total county-wide voter turnout of almost 30 percent, Ruestman garnered 6,125 votes in the GOP primary contest, followed by Buzz Ball with 2,079 votes, Rick McCully with 1,129 votes and Clarence Nowak finishing last with 544 votes.
Ruestman joked Tuesday night that her first order of business was “going fishing tomorrow.”
She said she had had “the heebie-jeebies” about the race for the past three days.
“I feel very happy that it’s over and I’m very pleased that the people of Newton County have made the decision that I can do the job,” Ruestman said. “And I’ll do what I’ve always said. I’ll work very hard.
“I won’t make everyone happy, but I’ll work hard and I really will try to listen to everyone.”
Ruestman said she would finish out her term as state representative of the 131st District, which covers northern and eastern Newton County, as well as roughly half of McDonald County, but would try to get some in-house training with the sitting county commissioners before she took on her new job in January, if elected in the general election in November.
“When I went to the Missouri House of Representatives, I took a session to just sit and listen and learn, and I think I’ll have to do that here,” Ruestman said. “I don’t want to jump to conclusions about what a problem or solution is.”
Ruestman said that after she takes the Presiding Commissioner seat, if elected in November, she would like to hold routine listening posts at different locations around the county. She noted, however, that she is going to ask Newton County residents not to bring forward a problem unless they can also think of a solution. Also, anonymous complaints will probably go to the trash can, she said.
“I’ll look anyone in the eye and we can do business, but I don’t like the anonymous game playing,” Ruestman said. “And I don’t want to carry something on and on. I want to know what your problem is, but don’t bring me your problem if you can’t help me with it.”
Ruestman also said she would like to develop a better working relationship between the county and the City of Neosho, but said she wasn’t going to play favorites and would treat all the towns in Newton County the same.
First runner-up Buzz Ball was visibly disappointed after the race results came in Tuesday at the Newton County Courthouse, where Ruestman was also.
Ball had previously stated that he had spent hundreds of hours knocking on doors throughout the county, getting to know the voters.
“I don’t think I could have done anything more,” he said. “I’ve worked hard, used my money wisely and the voters spoke. I wish Marilyn well in her November election.”
Ball said he didn’t know what he was going to do now.
“God has something for me I know,” Ball said. “This wasn’t it, so something else is out there.”
