Camden County commissioner enters Republican state Senate primary on final day of filing

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Camden County's presiding commissioner entered the Republican primary for Missouri's Sixth Senate District on the final day of filing Tuesday.

Todd Isaac "Ike" Skelton of Osage Beach is the sixth Republican to file paperwork to run in the August election for the district that runs from Cole County to the Lake of the Ozarks. Skelton is nearing the end of his first term in office, which includes a high-profile run-in with the law when he removed a license-plate reader camera from its perch along a state highway.

Tuesday was the final day to file for the August primary in statewide and county elections. Filing began Feb. 24. That's when the other five Republicans -- term-limited Missouri House member Rudy Veit of Wardsville, former lawmaker Dr. Lisa Thomas of Lake Ozark, Jake Vogel and Derrick Spicer of Jefferson City and Amber Buckles of Macks Creek -- put their names in.

Meanwhile, three candidates -- Nick Sherrell, Kathy Campbell and Nathan Patton -- are running in the Republican primary for Skelton's current post. Two Democrats, Daniel Ousley and Mike McDuffey, are seeking their party's nomination.

Mid-Missouri's open 10th Senate District, which covers Callaway, Montgomery, Pike and Lincoln counties, will see contested primaries for the GOP and the Democrats. Republicans Tricia Byrnes (a current House member) of Wentzville and Mike Deering of Montgomery City filed on the first day. Democrats John Wells of Holts Summit and Pablo John Los of Hermann filed on Monday.

State House District 59, which represents Jefferson City and will be open in the general elections, will have a three-way Republican primary. Vic Rackers, Carrie Tergin and Glenn Reynolds all filed on the first day.

A full list of candidates who filed in the August primary is available on the Missouri secretary of state's website.

Contested primaries set in Boone, Cole counties

Boone County voters who pull a Democratic ballot in August will have the chance to vote in two contested primaries.

Incumbent Auditor Kyle Rieman has drawn a challenge from Allen Bel-Long.

Two Democrats also filed for the Division 9 circuit judge seat -- Bill Ellis and Spencer S. Smith.

All four filed on the first day.

Cole County will hold contested primaries for the Republican nominee for presiding commissioner and county clerk. Each race has drawn the interest of a term-limited state lawmaker.

State Sen. Mike Bernskoetter is running for the GOP nomination for presiding commissioner against Paul Dupuis. State Rep. Dave Griffith of Jefferson City is running for county clerk against Jeff Ahlers.

Bernskoetter's and Griffith's term limits set up the open primaries in the Sixth Senate District and 59th House District, respectively.