John Maddux IV defeated Jarred Engelbach in a runoff election held Tuesday, May 17, for a seat on the Dunklin R-5 Board of Education, with Maddox, an incumbent, getting 272 votes (58 percent) to Engelbach’s 197 votes (42 percent), according to unofficial results.
In the April 5 general election, four candidates vied for two open seats on the board, with Marissa Newman winning one of them outright with 504 votes. Maddox and Engelbach tied for the second spot with 449 votes each.
After the election, Maddox and Engelbach met with Superintendent Clint Freeman to discuss whether to break the tie with a runoff election or a random method, such as a coin flip. They decided to go with a runoff election.
County Clerk Ken Waller said the runoff election votes were counted through a standard tabulator machine. He said military ballots could still arrive, but they are not expected to affect the outcome of the runoff election.
Jeannie Goff of the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office said a verification board will meet Friday, May 20, to certify the election.
Maddox was appointed to the Dunklin school board in 2018 and won his first three-year term in April 2019.
He has continued to serve on the R-5 Board of Education since the April 5 election. The board is scheduled to meet Saturday morning, May 21, to administer the oath of office to Maddox for his new three-year term, district communications director Matt Lichtenstein said.
The district’s cost for the runoff election has not yet been determined, County Clerk’s Office spokeswoman said. Prior to the election, Waller estimated it would cost the district between $8,000 and $10,000.