SUTTERER PERRY COMMISSION WINNER; PAULUS UNSEATS CLERK

PERRYVILLE -- Perry County voters have a new presiding commissioner and a new county collector.

Tom Sutterer won a five-way race as Perry County's new presiding commissioner, and Perry County voters chose challenger Becky Paulus as circuit clerk and ex-officio recorder of deeds.

She defeated incumbent Donna Guemmer 1,951 to 1,329.

Sutterer, 60, garnered 1,040 votes in the commission race.

Incumbent Karl Klaus opted not to seek re-election after 12 years in office.

Sutterer is the owner of TS Building, a general contracting firm. He formerly served on the Perryville Board of Aldermen.

After learning of his victory Tuesday night, Sutterer said he was "celebrating just a little bit."

"I'm just very happy," he said, adding:

"We all worked hard. I've had a lot of help. They all worked hard, and I thank them. My heart goes out to those who worked as hard and were not successful, because it's a real involvement. I'm very happy to have won it, and I'm looking forward to doing the job. I feel that I am qualified for it."

Totals for the other commission candidates were Gary Lauck, 729; Brad Moll, 466; and Gary Schumer, 791.

Mike Ernst, who withdrew from the commission race in June, garnered 71 votes.

Paulus, making her first bid for elected office, is the manager of the Perry County Title and Abstract Co.

Guemmer has held office for 10 years after she was appointed to an unexpired term in 1988.

No Democrats filed for any county office in Perry County.

The winners of Tuesday's primary will win the November general election unless write-in campaigns are waged.

About a third of Perry County's registered voters cast ballots in Tuesday's primary, with 3,567 of 10,446 voters voting.

The presiding commissioner and recorder posts were the only contested county races.

Republican incumbents re-elected without opposition were Associate Circuit Judge Michael J. Bullerdieck, County Clerk Randy Taylor, Treasurer Veronica Hershey, Prosecuting Attorney Thomas L. Hoeh and Collector Rodney J. Richardet.

State Rep. Patrick Naeger won the Republican nomination for the 155th District, defeating Elbert Bohnert 2,581 to 691.

Naeger will face Democratic opponent Diane Edwards of Brewer.