In January, Stacy Ball will be sworn in to the top law enforcement position in Pulaski County, replacing Sheriff Jimmy Bench who did not run for reelection.
County Clerk David Ernst on Tuesday, Aug. 6, released the unofficial results for the 2024 primary election in Pulaski County.
Republican Ball had four opponents on the ballot, Rex Larson, Nick Pappas, Bryan Gibbs and Jim D. Reid.
There are no Democrat opponents, so Ball will be unchallenged in the Nov. 5 general election.
He won with 40.48 percent, equaling 1,837 voters casting in his favor in nine precincts in the county.
Larson trailed at 36.8 percent with 1,670 votes; followed by Pappas, 11.81 with 536; Gibbs, 8.53 with 387; and Reid, 2.38 with 108.
Eastern District Commissioner
Incumbent Charles Bassett, a Republican, lost his seat to challenger Kevin Davis.
Davis captured 54.02 percent of the votes with 1,491 cast in his favor, followed by Bassett at 45.98 percent with 1,269 votes.
Davis is unopposed in November as there are no Democrats running for the seat.
Western District Commissioner
Incumbent Andy Helms captured 83.20 percent of the votes in the seven reporting precincts in his district with 1,347 casting in his favor over Wayne Hill who, at 16.80 percent, had 272 votes.
District 121
In the uncontested primary race for state representative in District 121, incumbent Bill Hardwick, a Republican, received 1,798 votes, and Democrat Brandon Swartz captured 402 votes.
Both will move on to face each other in the general election.
District 124
Incumbent Don Mayhew, a Republican, and Democrat Tara Hallmark were unopposed and will face each other in November.
There were 2,332 who cast votes for Mayhew and 261 for Hallmark in the primary election.
Unopposed candidates
Four Republican candidates ran unopposed and have no Democrat challengers in the general election.
Those seats, and votes cast in the primary, include:
Daniel Whittle for assessor, 4,085 votes; Rebecca (Becky) Allen, public administrator, 4,019; Roger Graves II, coroner, 4,107; and Bill Hickle, Circuit Judge Circuit 25, Div. 1, had 4,010 votes.
Question and two Constitutional amendments
With 2,647 votes, Pulaski County passed a countywide sales tax at the rate of one half of one percent in perpetuity from the date on which such tax is first imposed for the purpose of building, improving, and maintaining bridges and roadways in the County of Pulaski.
There were 2,598 votes against the tax.
In Pulaski County, “no” votes prevailed on two constitutional amendments on the ballot.
Amendments 1 and 4 are on exempting some childcare providers from property taxes, and ensuring police forces have resources to serve communities (for more information go to sos.mo.gov to read the full text).
On Amendment 1, there were 3,004 against and 2,208 for the measure in the county.
This is in line with the final at the state level at 54.73 percent with 592,719 voting no, and 45.268 percent, 490,220, voting yes.
There were 2,599 no votes and 2,557 yes for Amendment 4 in Pulaski County.
It passed by a small margin at the state level, with 549,116, or 51.180 percent, voting yes, and 523,796, 48.820, voting against.