NEWCOMER WINS SCOTT COMMISSION RACE

BENTON -- A political newcomer defeated a former state legislator and two other challengers in Tuesday's Democratic primary to become Scott County's next presiding commissioner.

Martin Priggel, a farmer and businessman from Oran, garnered 3,953 votes or 48 percent of the ballots cast, to win his party's nomination as presiding commissioner.

Because there were no Republican's running in Tuesday's election, Priggel will face no competition in November's general election and is de facto presiding commissioner-elect.

Priggel faced his toughest competition from Sikeston real estate agent and former state legislator Dennis Ziegenhorn. Ziegenhorn, who was in the Missouri legislature from 1980 to 1994, collected 3,279 votes or 40 percent of the vote.

The two nearly split the county in half, with Priggel winning most of the northern precincts, and Ziegenhorn winning the precincts in the southern half, including all nine of Sikeston's precincts.

Priggel, however, won the most votes in Benton, Scott City, Oran, Chaffee, Kelso and New Hamburg.

But despite the geographical division evident in the election results, Priggel used his victory to call for greater unity in the county.

"I want us all to work together," he said amid the cheers of his supporters.

"We can do so much more to make Scott County a better place for all of us to live," he said.

Two other candidates running for the position, George Morris of Sikeston, won 391 votes, or less than 5 percent of the vote, and Joel "Chuck" Bollinger of Scott City, received 629 votes, or 8 percent, Bollinger received his votes, despite taking a position with the Scott County Sheriff's Department and hadn't actively pursuing the office.