Many incumbents in county races

JACKSON, Mo. -- There will be no shortage of incumbents in Cape Girardeau County election races this year.

The terms of nine incumbents -- five Republicans and four Democrats -- will end this year. Eight are seeking re-election to four-year terms. The exception is H. Weldon Macke, who is retiring after 34 years as county auditor.

Candidates can file at the county clerk's office in Jackson weekdays, beginning at 8 a.m. Tuesday and ending at 5 p.m. March 26.

The incumbents who are filing for re-election are associate circuit judges Gary Kamp and Peter Statler, Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones, County Clerk Rodney Miller, Circuit Clerk Charles Hutson Jr., Recorder of Deeds Janet Robert, Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle and Collector Diane Diebold.

Voters can count on at least two contested races, one for presiding commissioner and the other for auditor.

Jones, a Jackson newspaper publisher, is seeking re-election to a third term. Voters first elected him in 1994.

He faces a challenge in the August Republican primary from Doug Flannery, a Whitewater, Mo., area construction worker who ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat for a seat on the county commission two years ago. He lost in his bid to unseat 1st District Commissioner Larry Bock.

This time around, Flannery said he's running as a Republican because the party better represents gun owners and sportsmen like himself.

Flannery strongly opposed the commission's effort to establish countywide planning and zoning two years. He helped lead the anti-zoning effort that successfully defeated the ballot issue.

But Flannery believes the county needs a nuisance abatement law to deal with everything from junk cars to trash piles in the unincorporated, rural areas. "My first priority will be to come up with a nuisance abatement law that works," said the heavy equipment operator.

Jones touts the commission's accomplishments such as the building of a new county jail and an archives center. Jones said the commission also has been active in industrial recruitment.

"I think the job is a lot of fun," said Jones. "I think it is making a contribution to the betterment of Cape Girardeau County."

Primary battle

Jackson Alderman David Ludwig and Cape Girardeau City Councilman Matt Hopkins have both announced their candidacies for auditor. Both are Republicans, assuring a primary battle. They are attempting to succeed Macke, who also is a Republican.

Hopkins, who ran unsuccessfully for county collector in 1998, said he enjoys working with numbers. Ludwig said he wants to build on the foundation set by Macke, the county's first elected auditor. Macke replaced an appointed auditor two years after the post was created.

Of all the incumbents running for re-election this year, Hutson, a Democrat from Jackson, has served the longest. Elected in 1974, he is in his 28th year in office.

Hutson said he gets his share of complaints about jury duty. "I handle all the juries, and some people are happy and some are not serving on juries," he said.

Robert, a Democrat from Cape Girardeau, has been in office almost as long as Hutson. Appointed recorder of deeds by the governor in April 1977 to fill an unexpired vacancy, Robert was first elected to office in 1978.

She said handling records on land transactions and marriage licenses doesn't get the public's attention. "It's a quiet job as far as publicity," she said.

Miller, a Democrat from Millersville, Mo., has served as county clerk since 1978.

Miller, the county's chief elections official, said he's tried to serve county residents and voters fairly and efficiently.

His office handles everything from voter registration to vote counting, as well as a number of record-keeping duties and the county payroll.

"Other than the election process, the position of county clerk is much like that of being the business manager for the county government," Miller said.

A recurring nightmare

Swingle, a Republican, has served as prosecuting attorney for 16 years. Elected in 1986, he took office in January 1987.

"My dad was a state trooper. I just felt a calling that I wanted to go do this," he said.

Swingle still feels that way. "I actually have a recurring nightmare that I am representing a murderer and I am about to get him off. I wake up and think, 'Oh, thank God, I am still a prosecutor,'" Swingle said.

Diebold, a Republican, is seeking her second term. Voters elected the rural Jackson woman in 1998.

Diebold heads an office that collects close to $38 million a year in taxes for school districts, cities, the county and other local governments.

She said she's seen her share of disgruntled taxpayers. Diebold said she's a taxpayer too and she understands their frustrations.

"I am all for less government intrusion and less taxes in our country," she said.

Kamp, a Gravel Hill, Mo., Republican, has served as Division III associate circuit judge since being elected in 1994. He is seeking his third term.

Kamp said he has handled almost 17,000 felony and misdemeanor cases since taking office. That number doesn't include traffic cases, which he also handles.

Statler, a Democrat from Jackson, also was elected in 1994 and is seeking a third term as Division IV associate circuit judge.

"I enjoy my job. I'm not ready to hang it up," said Statler, who handles everything from drug court to juvenile cases.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123