SCOTT INCUMBENT JUDGE WINS OVER FOUR OTHER HOPEFULS

BENTON -- In the most hotly contested race in Scott County's Democratic primary Tuesday, the incumbent Associate Circuit Court Judge, Division IV, defeated four challengers to win his party's nomination.

Winning 25 percent of the vote, Hense Winchester of Sikeston narrowly defeated challenges from Francis Siebert of Chaffee, Jim Pinkston of Benton, and Frank Marshall and Jim Green, both of Sikeston.

Because there were no Republicans entered in Tuesday's election, Winchester will be returned to the bench. He was first appointed to the bench earlier this year to fill the unexpired term of Judge David Dolan.

"It's the agony and the ecstasy," Winchester said, describing his victory.

"I feel for everybody that worked hard and lost, but I'm thrilled that we won," he said.

Winchester collected 2,122 votes or 25 percent to Seibert's 1,922 or 23 percent. Pinkston placed third in the race with 1,757 votes or 21 percent.

Green and Marshall each collected 15 percent of the vote, garnering 1,296 and 1,284 votes respectively.

Winchester took 11 of the 30 precincts, including all but one of Sikeston's nine precincts. The 9th precinct -- Sunset, in which only 85 votes were cast -- went to Siebert.

Most of the precincts in the north half of the county split their votes between Pinkston and Siebert. Pinkston won both Scott City precincts and Siebert won both of Chaffee's. They split Oran's two precincts.

"It was a tough race," Winchester said after the results were in. "Everybody worked extremely hard."