Lewis defeats Heisserer second time for judge seat

By RUDI KELLER

Southeast Missourian

In a race that ended in a mirror image of the 2004 contest, Circuit Judge Ben Lewis won two of three counties in the 32nd Judicial Circuit to win a full six-year term on the bench.

In 2004, a big win in the smallest constituency, Bollinger County, provided Lewis, a Republican, with the edge needed to take the seat from John Heisserer, a Democrat. In this year's race, Bollinger County went to Heisserer while Lewis captured Perry and Cape Girardeau counties.

Lewis defeated Heisserer by 1,134 votes out of 38,926 cast, a difference between the two of about 3 percent. In 2004, Lewis won by 272 votes.

"The big difference is being the incumbent," Lewis said after receiving cheers from family and friends at his Cape Girardeau home. "People don't usually get rid of circuit judges unless they have a reason."

To counter the Bollinger County edge for Lewis, Heisserer had made a major effort there. But he said he didn't skimp on Perry or Cape Girardeau counties either.

"We knocked on over 17,000 doors," Heisserer said. "I had a really good feeling going into this, and I was surprised to see it this close."

In the campaign, Lewis took on the perception of judges as liberals handing down rulings legalizing gay marriage, abortion and the recent U.S. Court of Appeals ruling blocking executions. He also highlighted endorsements from Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle and his decision to avoid contributions from lawyers.

"We started earlier, worked harder and got more people involved," Lewis said. "We were talking about values and focused more on people endorsing and helping us."

Heisserer took a more cautious approach, using his advertising to highlight his experience and endorsements from the community.

As he spoke to about 25 friends and family members gathered in his kitchen, Lewis said he's glad he can stay in office.

"It is a cool job to have," he said. "It is a lot of responsibility, and I am going to try that much harder for the next six years."

The road to a full six-year term wasn't without its bumps. Heisserer was appointed in early 2003 to replace John Grimm, who won the seat in 2000. In 2004, Lewis and Heisserer battled to finish out the six-year term.

In 2004, Lewis raised less than $20,000 for his race, while Heisserer gathered about $71,000. Lewis has raised more than $31,000 this year, while Heisserer has raised about the same amount.

Heisserer was philosophical after the loss during an interview at the Democratic Party's election night gathering at the Elks Lodge. "It has not been an altogether bad experience. I am confident I did everything I could."

The second close race in a row isn't enough to encourage Heisserer to remain an active candidate. "I am going to stay out of the political business for a while," he said.

As to future Democratic hopefuls in the area, Heisserer had some advice: "Be dedicated to spending the summer and the fall asking for votes. That's the only way to be successful, and even then you might not."

Cape Girardeau County Democratic Party chairwoman Brenda Woemmel said the party will again seek to rebuild itself after being unable to put a single candidate into office.

"What we started for this cycle we have to keep doing," she said.

rkeller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126