Lipke and Black so far unopposed for House seats

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- With the filing deadline looming, Republican state Reps. Scott Lipke of Jackson and Lanie Black of Charleston are the only Southeast Missouri legislative candidates who have yet to draw an opponent for either the August party primaries or the November general elections.

Potential hopefuls for state and federal legislative seats, statewide office and circuit judgeships have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to officially declare their candidacies for the Aug. 3 primaries in person at the secretary of state's office in Jefferson City. Primary winners will advance to the Nov. 2 general elections.

Lipke is seeking a second two-year term in the 157th District, which covers northern Cape Girardeau County and most of Perry County. Black is running for a fourth term from the 161st District, which includes Mississippi County and parts of New Madrid, Scott and Stoddard counties.

No Democrats have yet filed in two other area House districts -- the 154th, which represents the bulk of northern Butler County, and the 158th, which covers most of the city of Cape Girardeau.

In the 154th District, incumbent state Rep. Gayle Kingery of Poplar Bluff is facing a GOP primary challenge from Reid Forrester, a former Poplar Bluff mayor.

Phil Brinson, Nathan D. Cooper and Eugene "Pete" Frazier are vying for the Republican nomination for the 158th District seat being vacated by House Majority Floor Leader Jason Crowell, a Republican who is running for the state Senate.

Lacking Democratic entries, the winners of those Republican primaries would go unopposed in the general elections.

In candidate filings this week, Lane Smith, a Sikeston Libertarian, filed for the 160th House seat. Incumbent state Rep. Peter Myers, R-Sikeston, and Democrat Jim Spooler of Chaffee are also candidates for that seat.

Richard Allen Kline of Gypsy filed as a Republican to make his fourth bid for the 8th Congressional District seat held by U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson of Cape Girardeau, who is seeking a fifth term.

Kline won the GOP nomination for the seat in 1996, after U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson of Cape Girardeau died and left the party without a prominent candidate on the primary ballot. With Republican Party backing, Jo Ann Emerson won the general election as an independent.

Kline sought the seat as a Democrat in 1998 and again as a Republican in 2002, but lost in the primary both years. He was the Reform Party candidate for governor in 2000.

Democrats Dean Henderson of Peace Valley and Jerry Cass of Hartville are also running for the 8th District seat, which represents 28 southern Missouri counties in Congress.

Libertarian Stan Cuff of Poplar Bluff also declared his candidacy last week.

mpowers@semissourian.com

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