Lipke defeats Lichtenegger in close race for Schwab's seat

Despite failing to win a majority of votes, Scott Lipke of Jackson won Tuesday's four-way Republican primary for the 157th District seat in the Missouri House of Representatives.

According to unofficial results from the Missouri secretary of state's office with all precincts reporting, Lipke took the GOP nomination with 30.5 percent of votes cast -- just 90 votes ahead of runner-up Donna Lichtenegger of Jackson.

Lipke, an assistant Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney, said it was a tough election with four well-known candidates seeking to replace term-limited state Rep. David Schwab, R-Jackson.

"We knew it would be close and we each tried to distinguish ourselves," Lipke said. "We've got a general election now and look forward to the help of the other Republican candidates."

Lipke will carry the GOP banner in the fall against Democrat Chuck Miller of Oriole and Libertarian Timothy Doubledee of Jackson.

Lichtenegger, a long-time Republican activist, had 28.6 percent of the vote. Jackson school board member Gerald Adams was third with 21.9 percent, followed by Cape Girardeau County Farm Bureau president Tom Sasche of Friedheim who garnered 19 percent of the total, but winning Perry County. Lipke, whose advantage in Cape Girardeau County proved pivotal, came in third in Perry County, also trailing Lichtenegger.

In the 106th District Republican primary, incumbent state Rep. Tom Burcham of Farmington captured 69.1 percent of the vote to beat challenger Cecilia Fallert of Perryville 2,384 to 1,067.

Burcham claimed all three counties covered by the district, but a 1,000 vote advantage over Fallert in his home county of St. Francois was key to his victory. Burcham said he was concerned that voters in Perry and Ste. Genevieve counties, which are new to the 106th District, were more familiar with Fallert, a former newspaper reporter and high school teacher in both counties.

"My opponent is certainly more well known in both new counties," Burcham said. "But particularly in a primary election, I think voters are more attracted to a candidate's principles than geography."

Burcham will face Democrat Dennis W. Smith, a Farmington city councilman, in November.

There were three other contested primaries for Southeast Missouri House seats. No incumbent is running in any of those legislative districts.

Gayle Kingery beat Butler County Commissioner Robbie Myers with 55.3 percent of the vote in the 154th District GOP primary. Kingery will go up against Democrat Bill Stanberry and Libertarian Chip Taylor in the general election for the Butler County legislative seat. All the candidates are from Poplar Bluff.

Otto Bean Jr. of Holcomb defeated Curtis W. Steward of Campbell, winning 69.9 percent of the 163rd District vote. Bean and Democrat Brent Robinson of Kennett will be on the fall ballot for the seat, which represents parts of Butler, Dunklin and Stoddard counties.

With just 13 of 43 precincts reporting, Tim Slayton of Fairdealing held a 204-vote lead over Mike Dethrow of Alton for the Republican nomination in the 153rd District in Butler, Carter, Oregon, Ripley and Wayne counties. Assuming Slayton, who had 56.7 percent of votes cast, holds the lead, he will face Democrat Larry Jackson of Doniphan in November.

mpowers@semissourian.com

(573) 635-4608