GASCONADE COUNTY — Gasconade County voters gathered at the polls on Tuesday, Aug. 4, to select party nominees for county, state and federal offices while deciding the future of four proposed amendments to the Missouri Constitution. Voters in portions of the county also considered a city of Bland use-tax question and an Osage County R-2 School District tax-levy proposal.

According to unofficial election results from the Gasconade County Clerk Lesa Lietzow, 3,945 ballots were cast from 10,688 registered voters, representing 36.91 percent turnout.

“Better than I expected,” Lietzow said. “I figured it would be in the low 30s. To be 37 percent, I am happy with that.”

Republican primary

In the Republican primary for Missouri state auditor, incumbent Scott Fitzpatrick received 2,325 votes, or 85.6 percent, while Gerald “Jerry” Wistrand Jr. received 391 votes, 14.4 percent. Fitzpatrick carried Gasconade County, as well as the districtwide nomination with 549,997 votes or 85.535 percent.

Five candidates sought the Republican nomination for U.S. representative in Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District. In Gasconade County, Peter A. Pfeifer received 322 votes or 11.48 percent; Brandon Wilkinson received 311 votes or 11.09 percent; incumbent Ann Wagner received 1,768 votes or 63.05 percent; Matthew R. Grant received 216 or 7.7 percent; and Elizabeth Sparks-Holmes received 186 or 6.67 percent. Wagoner received the most Republican votes in Gasconade County, as well as districtwide, with 63,637 votes or 73.852 percent.

Incumbent Ben Brown was unopposed for the Republican nomination for Missouri Senate District 26 and received 2,518 votes in Gasconade County and 25,339 across the district.

The Republican primary for Missouri House District 61 featured John Grady and incumbent Bruce Sassmann. Grady received 1,244 votes or 42.44 percent, while Sassmann received 1,687 votes or 57.56 percent. Sassmann carried Gasconade County, as well as the districtwide nomination with 5,401 to 3,247 votes, or 62.454 percent.

Ada Brehe-Krueger was unopposed for the Republican nomination for associate circuit judge and received 2,672 votes.

Gasconade County’s contested Republican primary for presiding commissioner featured Mark Mundwiller and incumbent Tim Schulte. Mundwiller received 1,548 votes, or 50.99 percent, while Schulte received 1,488 votes, or 49.01 percent. Mundwiller secured the Republican nomination.

Jenny Schneider was unopposed for the Republican nomination for clerk of the circuit court and received 2,565 votes.

Danielle I. Norsic was unopposed for the Republican nomination for clerk of the county commission and received 2,494 votes.

Jessica Diebal was unopposed for the Republican nomination for recorder of deeds and received 2,566 votes.

Mary E. Weston was unopposed for the Republican nomination for prosecuting attorney and received 2,481 votes.

Glenda Shockley was unopposed for the Republican nomination for collector of revenue and received 2,560 votes.

Natasha Hesemann was unopposed for the Republican nomination for county treasurer and received 2,579 votes.

Democratic primary

In the Democratic primary for Missouri state auditor, Quentin Wilson received 293 votes, or 57.91 percent, while Gregory Upchurch received 213 votes, or 42.09 percent. Wilson carried Gasconade County.

Three candidates sought the Democratic nomination for U.S. representative in Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District. Timothy D. Bilash received 86 votes, or 16.41 percent; Joan VonDras received 236 votes, or 45.04 percent; and Fred Wellman received 207 votes, or 38.55 percent. VonDras received the most Democratic votes in Gasconade County.

Vicky Wors was unopposed for the Democratic nomination for Missouri Senate District 26 and received 297 votes.

Stacy Bax was unopposed for the Democratic nomination for Missouri House District 61 and received 398 votes.

Libertarian primary

Dustin Coffell was unopposed for the Libertarian nomination for Missouri state auditor and received 17 votes.

Brandon Coulter Daugherty was unopposed for the Libertarian nomination for U.S. representative in Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District and received 16 votes.

Constitutional amendments

Gasconade County voters considered four proposed amendments to the Missouri Constitution.

Amendment 1 asked voters whether Missouri should continue for another 10 years the existing one-tenth of one percent sales and use tax supporting soil and water conservation, state parks and historic sites. The measure received 2,903 yes votes, or 74.63 percent, and 987 no votes, or 25.37 percent. The amendment passed in Gasconade County and statewide with 1,141,865 yes votes, or 82.288 percent, to 245,778 no votes, or 17.712 percent.

Amendment 2 asked whether all charter counties, including Jackson County, should be required to elect a county assessor and whether assessors in charter counties should comply with training requirements established by state law. The measure received 2,684  yes votes, or 70.87 percent, and 1,003 no votes, or 29.13 percent. The amendment passed in Gasconade County and statewide with 1,042,413 yes votes, or 76.924 percent, and 312,713 no votes, or 23.076 percent.

Amendment 4 proposed requiring citizen-initiated constitutional amendments to receive majority approval statewide and in each congressional district. The proposal would also require that the full text of an initiative petition be made available to voters with their ballots. The measure received 761 yes votes, or 19.5 percent, and 3,142 no votes, or 80.5 percent. The amendment failed in Gasconade County and statewide with 275,040 yes votes, or 19.677 percent, and 1,122,748 no votes, or 80.323 percent.

Amendment 5 proposed requiring the General Assembly to phase out and eliminate Missouri’s individual income tax based on revenue growth. It would also authorize expanded sales and use taxes and require local tax-rate reductions under certain circumstances when sales-tax revenues increase. The measure received 489 yes votes, or 12.52 percent, and 3,416 no votes, or 87.48 percent. The amendment failed in Gasconade County, and  statewide with 233,309 no votes, or 16.684 percent, and 1,165,085 no votes, or 83.316 percent.

The statewide outcome of each constitutional amendment was determined by votes cast throughout Missouri, not solely by the Gasconade County totals. The official Gasconade County ballots include Amendments 1, 2, 4 and 5.

City of Bland question

Voters residing within the Gasconade County portion of the city of Bland considered whether the city should impose a local use tax at the same rate as its local sales tax, currently three and one-half percent. Under the proposal, the use-tax rate would increase or decrease whenever voters approved a corresponding change in the city’s sales-tax rate.

The Bland question received 34 yes votes, or 52.31 percent, and 31 no votes, or 47.69 percent. The proposal passed.

Osage County R-2 Proposition T

Gasconade County voters residing within the Osage County R-2 School District considered Proposition T, which asked whether the district should increase its operating tax-levy ceiling to $3.25 per $100 of assessed valuation. The district estimated that approval would increase the operating levy by 50 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. Revenue would be used for general operating expenses, including minimum base-salary requirements for certified teachers and commensurate wage increases for support staff.

Bland Alderman Joe Ridener said that there were several items on the ballot that impact voters in his city. He said that Amendments 4 and 5 were important to look at but that ultimately he was more excited at the prospect of the proposed Bland Use Tax passing.

“We were close last time,” Ridener said. “It only lost by one vote. If it passes, we can do more.”

Proposition T received 60 percent yes votes, and 40 percent no votes in Gasconade County, and passed the overall vote in Osage County with 55.9 percent yes to 44.1 percent no.

The proposition appeared only on ballots issued to Gasconade County voters residing within the school district.

These results are unofficial and remain subject to certification by the Gasconade County Clerk’s Office.