District 61 — Incumbent Bruce Sassmann won the Republican nomination for District 61 Representative, and will be running unopposed on the November ballot. Unofficial election results posted on the Secretary of State’s website show Sassmann claimed 4,474 (53.07%) of votes in the district, followed by former Osage County Public Administrator Paul Stratman with 3,361 (39.87%), and Brian Tharp with 596 (7.07%). In Osage County, Stratman received 1,874 votes (54.84%), followed by Sassmann with 1,430 (41.85%) and Tharp with 113 (3.31%).

Sassmann said the work for District 61 continues. “The election is over — temporarily,” he said. “While many of the races were decided in the primary, the big-stakes political choices will be in November. Congratulations to those winning their primary and good luck to those still working on the campaign trail.

“During each of these election cycles I am reminded of the Citizen in the Republic speech given by President Theodore Roosevelt,” Sassmann continued. “The century old speech emphasizes the virtues of active participation in democracy. ‘If you want to win, you have to show up and make yourself vulnerable.’

“Roosevelt goes on to tell the story of ‘The Man in the Arena,’” Sassmann said. “‘It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither knows victory nor defeat.’

“Thanks to the men and women in the district that allow me the opportunity to serve,” Sassmann concluded. “It is the greatest honor of my life.”

Stratman said running for District 61 representative was the best thing that’s ever happened to him, despite the outcome. “I saw so many places, and met so many people I now consider friends,” Stratman said. “You put your time in on the campaign and do your best, but everything happens for a reason.”

Stratman now plans to focus on finding new ways to help people, outside of public office, including possibly working with the Special Olympics and volunteering as a hospice worker.

“I want to commend Bruce and Jan on running a clean campaign,” Stratman said graciously. “You see so many negative ads in Missouri. I want to commend Bruce for being a true gentleman. We have different beliefs, but we both want what’s best for the people of District 61.”

Tharp was similarly genteel, saying, “I’m thankful for every single person in this great district who voted for me, and I would like to congratulate our incumbent Representative for another term in office and wish him the best.”

In the Republican primary for governor, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe won the nomination with 274,840 votes (39.41%) followed by state Sen. Bill Eigel with 227,012 votes (32.55%) and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft with 162,086 votes (23.24%). The trio finished in the same order in Osage County with 2,164 votes (61.99%) for Kehoe, 734 votes (21.03%) for Eigel, and 539 votes (15.44%) for Ashcroft.

Kehoe’s Democratic opponent in November will be House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, who won her party’s nomination with 189,822 votes (50.25%) followed by business owner Mike Hamra with 119,702 (31.69%) and Pastor Eric Morrison with 36,985 votes (9.79%). The top three were the same in Osage County with Quade receiving 119 votes (48.18%), Hamra receiving 68 votes (27.53%) and Morrison receiving 36 votes (14.57%).

The Libertarian nominee for governor is business owner Bill Slantz, who ran unopposed in the primary.

The closest statewide race came in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor. Attorney Dave Wasinger won the nomination with 206,875 votes (31.39%) followed by state Sen. Lincoln Hough with 199,423 votes (30.26%) and state Sen. Holly Rehder with 142,801 votes (21.66%). In Osage County, Hough received 1,326 votes (40.01%), Wasinger received 1,032 votes (31.14%), and Rehder received 539 votes (16.26%).

Democratic voters chose state Rep. Richard Brown as their nominee for lieutenant governor. Brown received 231,970 votes (64.93%) to opponent Anastasia Syes’ 125,283 votes (35.07%). Brown led Osage County with 164 votes (67.21%) to Syes’ 80 votes (32.79%).

Libertarian nominee Ken Iverson ran unopposed in his party’s primary.

State Sen. Denny Hoskins won the Republican nominee for secretary of state with 157,116 votes (24.42%) followed by Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller with 108,289 votes (16.83%) and Judge Mike Carter with 91,866 votes (14.28%). Hoskins led Osage County with 1,641 votes (50.17%), followed by state Speaker of the House Dean Plocher with 405 votes (12.38%), and Schoeller with 352 votes (10.76%).

Hoskins will face Democratic nominee state Rep. Barbara Phifer in November. Phifer’s 146,284 votes (40.86%) put her ahead of opponents Monique Williams’ 123,270 votes (34.43%) and nurse Haley Jacobson’s 88,491 votes (24.72%). Phifer also led in Osage County, with 102 votes (43.40%), although Jacobson received 78 votes (33.19%, to Williams’ 55 votes (23.40%).

Libertarian Carl Herman Freese ran uncontested in the primary and will appear on the ballot in November.

Incumbent Treasurer Vivek Malek won the Republican nomination for his office with 273,691 votes (41.52%) followed by state Sen. Andrew Koenig with 135,637 votes (20.58%) and attorney Lori Rook with 127,807 votes (19.39%). The top three remained the same in Osage County with Malek receiving 1,721 votes (52.52%) to Koenig’s 578 votes (17,64%) and Rook’s 501 votes (15.29%).

Democrat Mark Osmack and Libertarian John A. Hartwig, Jr. ran unopposed in the primary and will challenge Malek in November.

Incumbent Attorney General Andrew Bailey won the Republican nomination with 413,465 votes (63.01%) to challenger Will Scharf’s 242,680 votes (36.99%). Bailey led Osage County with 2,342 votes (72.17%) to Scharf’s 903 votes (27.83%).

Democrat Elad Jonathan Gross and Libertarian Ryan L. Munro ran unopposed in the primary and will face Bailey in November.

United States Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer’s retirement left Republicans in Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District competing in a crowded primary to replace him as the party’s nominee. Former state Sen. Bob Onder won the nomination with 48,785 votes (47.38%) followed by former state Sen. Kurt Schaefer with 38,331 votes (37.22%) and U.S. Army veteran Bruce A. Bowman with 4,500 votes (4.37%) as a distant third. In Osage County, Schaefer led with 1,913 votes (57.85%) to Onder’s 1,013 (30.63%). Bowman finished third in the county with 133 votes (4.02%).

Democrat Bethany E. Mann won her party’s nomination for the congressional seat with 25,730 votes (73.45%) to Andrew Daly’s 9,303 votes (26.55%). Mann led Osage County with 162 votes (67.22%) to Daly’s 79 votes (32.78%).

Libertarian Jordan Rowden, of Vienna, was uncontested in the primary and will appear on the ballot in November.

Incumbent Republican Sen. Josh Hawley ran unopposed in the primary. His Democratic challenger will be Lucas Kunce, who received 255,309 votes (67.66%). Following Kunce were state Sen. Karla May with 87,653 votes (23.23%) and December L. Harmon with 26,732 votes (7.09%). Kunce led Osage County with 177 votes (69.69%) followed by May with 49 votes (19.29%) and Harmon with 24 votes (9.45%).

Libertarian W.C. Young ran unopposed and will appear on the ballot in November.

Voters also considered two constitutional amendments during the primary.

Constitutional Amendment No. 1 would allow child care facilities to be exempt from property taxes. The amendment failed to pass with only 490,220 votes (45.27%) in favor of it. In Osage County, the amendment received 1,468 votes (40.76%) in approval.

Constitutional Amendment No. 4 would create a constitutional exemption in order to raise minimum funding for a police force established by a state board of police commissioners. The only police department governed at the state level is Kansas City. The amendment passed with 549,116 votes (51.18%) in approval. The amendment did not have Osage County voters’ support with only 1,756 votes (49.42%) in favor of it.