Races develop for State Representative, State Auditor

By Kyle Troutman [email protected]

The filing period for the Aug. 4 Primary Election closed on March 31, with two local races and two state races seeing challengers.

In Barry County, there will be a race for prosecuting attorney or the first time since 2014. Incumbent Amy Boxx has refiled, challenged by newcomer Andrew Cole.

Boxx defeated two challengers in 2014, Matthew Weatherman and Steve Dunker, and ran unopposed in 2018 and 2022. This is Cole’s first time running for public office.

Barry County presiding commissioner will also have a race, as incumbent Steve Blankenship is being challenged by Chad Johnson.

Both candidates ran in 2022, as did a third, Andrew Henbest. Blankenship won the race, tallying 2,035 votes (40.33 percent) to Johnson’s 1,973 votes (39.10 percent) and Henbest’s 1,038 votes (20.57 percent).

Rural precincts, especially Blankenship’s home precinct in Jenkins, made the biggest difference in the race.

Filing and running unopposed in county races are: Johnnie Cox for Associate Circuit Judge Div. I, Robert Foulke for Associate Circuit Judge Div. II, Craig Williams for Circuit Clerk, Kimi Deal for County Clerk (incumbent Joyce Ennis did not file), Gretta Tripp for Treasurer, Skyler Bowman for Collector, and Danielle Still for Recorder of Deeds.

All except Deal are incumbents, and all candidates filed as Republicans. No Democrats filed for county positions.

At the state level, incumbent State Rep. Scott Cupps, R-Shell Knob, has refiled, challenged by newcomer Chris Foster, D-Purdy.

Cupps was elected in 2019, unopposed in a special election after former State Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick was appointed Missouri State Treasurer.

This is Foster’s first time running for public office.

Fitzpatrick was elected State Auditor in 2022, defeating Republican David Gregory in the Primary Election and Democrat Alan Green and Libertarian John A. Hartwig Jr. in the General Election.

This year, state Auditor is the only contested race at the state level. Challenging Fitzpatrick for the Republican spot is Gerald (Jerry) Wistrand Jr., of Oak Grove. In the Democratic Primary, Quentin Wilson, of St. Louis, and Gregory Upchurch, of St. Charles, have filed. Dustin Coffell has filed as the only Libertarian.