Jefferson County voters: No to Prop A, no to internet use taxes

Jefferson County voters turned out in force for the primary election on Tuesday (Aug. 7), with a turnout of 40.23 percent, far exceeding the 20 percent to 25 percent predicted by County Clerk Randy Holman, based on historical patterns.

What may have been a driving force was Missouri Proposition A, the so-called “right-to-work” issue. Jefferson County voters overwhelmingly turned thumbs-down on enacting a bill passed by the state General Assembly that would ban a requirement to join a labor union as a condition of employment.

In Jefferson County, 78.45 percent of voters cast “no” votes. Statewide, the issue also was failing, 65 percent to 35 percent.

Several ballot issues that would allow local jurisdictions to collect internet use taxes at the same rate as sales taxes were met with mostly negative responses.

A countywide issue fell by a commanding majority, and voters in De Soto, Hillsboro, Arnold, Festus, Crystal City, Herculaneum and Byrnes Mill followed suit.

The measure only passed in Kimmswick.

Two school districts, Grandview R-2 and Dunklin R-5, also had ballot measures. In Grandview, voters agreed to shift 50 cents from the bond fund to the general revenue fund to finance several initiatives.

Dunklin voters also approved a $6 million bond issue for improvements at Pevely Elementary School; it required a 4/7ths majority (57.14 percent) to pass and narrowly surpassed that margin, garnering 57.86 percent of the vote.

The High Ridge Fire Protection District asked its voters for a 25-cent tax increase to buy new vehicles and equipment and expand services at House No. 4. It, too, was approved.

Locally, there were few surprises in the primary races.

For the District 1 seat on the Jefferson County Council, challenger Brian Haskins turned back incumbent Don Bickowski’s bid for a third four-year term and won the Republican nomination by a surprising margin, 64.12 percent to 35.88 percent.

A race that figured to be hotly contested turned out differently, as Trisha Stefanski easily defeated Mark Bishop for the Republican nomination for Prosecuting Attorney. Stefanski, an assistant prosecutor under the current officeholder, Forrest Wegge (a Democrat who chose not to run for another term) will have a showdown in November against fellow assistant prosecutor Tom Hollingsworth, a Democrat.

The following table lists contested primary races for the U.S. Congress, Missouri General Assembly and Jefferson County offices. The winners will advance to the November general election.

Unofficial results of contested races from Tuesday’s election. Incumbents denoted with (I). Winners in bold. Issues require a simple majority for passage unless otherwise indicated. Unless otherwise indicated, results reflect 100 percent of the vote.