By Lucky Kidd
McPHERSON/SALINE/HARVEY/MARION COUNTY, Kan. — In McPherson County’s only contested local race for Tuesday’s primary election, incumbent County Commissioner David O’Dell easily won the Republican primary, 493 votes to 339 for Nick Reinecker.
At least three incumbent office holders lost re-election bids Tuesday, Harvey County Treasurer Becky Fields among them. Fields lost to Amy Perkins 71-29 percent in a very hotly contested election. Also going down to defeat was Rice County Sheriff Bryant Evans, falling to Nick Sowers 59 to 41 percent, and Reno County Commissioner John Whitsel who lost to Richard Winger 60-40 percent.
In other Harvey County races, Terry Scott won the Commission District 2 primary over Lance Gormley and incumbent Don Schroeder defeated Kevin Pouch.
The closest race of the night was in Saline County, where unofficial returns last night had Anne Grevas 19 votes ahead of Kathleen Malone Crouch out of over 1,200 votes cast. 3rd District incumbent Commissioner Rodger Sparks easily won re-nomination over Bill DeSilvey, Michelle Newell defeated Tonya Moran-Diaz for Register of Deeds and John Reynolds won a three-sided race for County Attorney.
Marion County Sheriff Jeff Soyez, who is a defendant in several lawsuits connected with last year’s raid on the Marion County Record, easily won re-nomination for a new term in Tuesday’s Republican primary, getting nearly 75 percent of the vote over challenger Travis Wilson.
3rd District Marion County Commissioner Randy Dalke lost a re-election bid to Claire Dirks, 184 votes to 152. Pending late mail ballots and provisional votes allowed, Dirks will face Democrat Randall Eitzen in the November General Election. Michael Beneke won the open 2nd district seat GOP nomination by a nearly 2-1 margin over Dianne Novak. In the other contested race Shelby Schroeder defeated Hannah Branson for Register of Deeds, where Rebecca Wingfield did not seek another term.
