By MATT SANDERS

Southeast Missourian

DEXTER, Mo. -- For the second time in two years voters in southwestern Cape Girardeau County appeared to have delivered the 159th District of the Missouri House of Representatives to Billy Pat Wright.

In 2004, Cape Girardeau County voters in the 159th District helped put Wright in the Missouri House of Representatives for the first time.

That year Wright faced Boyce Wooley for the seat, which was vacated by the term-limited Rob Mayer, also a Dexter resident. Wright beat Wooley with 55 percent of the vote in Stoddard, Cape Girardeau and Wayne counties.

But Wooley won Stoddard County by 30 votes. Wright won by 1,510 votes in Cape Girardeau County and by 60 votes in Wayne County.

This year Wright took Cape Girardeau County 2,367 to 1,136. Wooley won the Wayne County section of the district 258 to 257.

With 15 of 20 precincts reporting in Stoddard County at press time, Wright led there 4,063 to 3,608.

Wright appeared to be returning to the House with an even bigger win than he had two years ago, and he knows how important Cape Girardeau County was when the final vote was tallied.

"Cape County cares," Wright said Tuesday night. "Those people are very loyal and dedicated people. They never wavered, they stood by us, and we had to have them to win," Wright said.

The incumbent was also pleased to take Stoddard County -- something he didn't do in 2004.

Wright enjoyed a fund raising edge over Wooley prior to the election. The most recent finance report filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission showed Wooley raised $30,639 for the race while Wright raised $57,638 for his re-election, including $4,714 from the House Republican Campaign Committee.

Wright said there were some votes over the past two years he'd like to take back, but he was glad voters in his district stood behind his choices.

"Overall I think I had a great session," he said. Wright said one of his main goals is to improve access to health care for needy people over the next two years.

Calls to Wooley's cell phone were not returned Tuesday night.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182