CARPENTER RENOMINATED FOR CORONER POST

JACKSON, Mo. -- Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Carpenter celebrated his Republican primary victory Tuesday night from a hospital bed, but his battle with cancer didn't dampen his spirits.

Reached at his room at Southeast Missouri Hospital, Carpenter said he was thankful for voters' support.

Despite doing little campaigning because of his health, Carpenter cruised to victory with 3,819 votes. Challengers Wayne T. Godwin and Don "Butch" Gast had 1,701 votes and 1,019 votes, respectively.

He will face independent candidate Harold Cobb in November.

"I am just thankful that the voters of Cape Girardeau County wanted to rehire me and keep me on as county coroner for another four years," said Carpenter, who was first elected coroner in 1988.

Carpenter said the "prognosis is still looking good" in his battle with cancer. Neither Godwin nor Gast made Carpenter's health an issue in the campaign.

"I think the people wanted someone in there with experience and someone with knowledge of what they were doing," said Carpenter, who lives in Cape Girardeau and has worked in the funeral business since 1962.

Both Godwin and Gast had argued that it was time for a change in the coroner's office and that they could do the job better.

Both stressed their paramedic backgrounds in running for office. Gast is a former deputy coroner for the county.

Both Godwin and Gast live in Jackson, Mo., but Carpenter ran strong everywhere, including Jackson and Cape Girardeau.

Carpenter stressed his years of experience and training. Despite his ill health, Carpenter said he has continued to do his duty as coroner.

"I enjoy the job," he said in running for re-election.

He said all his training has made him a good death investigator.

Gast had said he would push for development of a disaster plan if elected coroner, but Carpenter said the voters made it clear they weren't worried about "a plane disaster hitting Cape Girardeau."