Hodge wins 161st District seat for Dems

By MATT SANDERS

Southeast Missourian

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Late returns from Mississippi County Tuesday night show Democrat Steve Hodges will replace Rep. Lanie Black in the 161st District of the Missouri House of Representatives.

With all 36 precincts in the district reporting their unofficial totals to the Missouri Secretary of State's office, Hodges held a 153-vote lead over Republican Gary Branum, a New Madrid farmer. Hodges, a semi-retired East Prairie businessman, led 5,501 to 5,348. Mississippi and Stoddard counties' votes were the last to be reported. The 23 precincts in Scott and New Madrid counties reported earlier and fell Branum's way.

In Scott County, Branum won 1,562 votes while Hodges took 1,447. Branum also had the edge in New Madrid County 1,786 to 1,508. The race was one which caught the attention of the Republican and Democratic parties on the state level. State Republican committees poured almost $150,000 into Branum's campaign -- $130,000 of that from the House Republican Campaign Committee.

The money helped pay for radio and TV ads that billed Branum as the only agricultural candidate in the race and as the only "real" pro-life, pro-business, pro-gun candidate. All three were also part of the Hodges platform.

State Democrats spent some money on Hodges, but that spending was not contained in the latest campaign finance disclosure forms filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Some of that money went to fund direct mail pieces touting Hodges as the working people's candidate, one who supports medical care for the poor elderly and children and raising the minimum wage.

Branum said he felt the state party made his race such a high priority because they wanted to see a Republican involved in agriculture representing the district, where farming is a large part of the economy.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182

Voters at Scott City's Broadway United Methodist Church, like in other areas of the district, were split on the race. Diana Jacobs voted for Hodges because she liked his ideas more than Branum's. Jack Dannenmueller cast his vote for Branum. He also voted for Jim Talent, but said the Branum vote wasn't based on party.

"Basically I vote for people," Dannenmueller said.

Branum had the assistance of the man whose seat he seeks, current State Rep. Lanie Black, who is being term-limited out of the seat. Black served as Branum's campaign treasurer. Both Branum and Hodges were running for state office for the first time.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182