LOHMANN DECLARED VICTOR IN PERRY

PERRYVILLE -- Several tense days after the Perry County primary election, Dennis Lohmann again was declared winner in the Eastern District commissioner's race.

It is on to the Nov. 5 general election for the incumbent. He will face a surprise independent candidate, Gene Tucker. Nobody filed for the seat on the Democratic ticket.

Republican Lohmann faced Harley Geile and Gary Lauck in the Aug. 6 primary. Lohmann received 573 votes, Lauck 572 and Geile 68.

The totals were too close to trust for Lauck, who said a computer breakdown in middle of the counting may have affected the totals. He petitioned the circuit court for a recount.

In this case, Circuit Judge John Grimm ordered the ballots be recounted electronically twice or until the numbers came out the same twice.

If they didn't come out the same, they were to be counted by hand.

Lohmann, Lauck, four witnesses, two election judges, County Clerk Randy Taylor and Prosecuting Attorney Tom Hoeh gathered in the County Commission's chambers Friday for the recount. An employee of the ballot-counting equipment dealership ran the punch-card ballots through the computer twice, and the result was the same both times.

"The breakdown during the primary has probably been overplayed," Taylor said. "We had back-up equipment right there.

"I was really pleased by the fact it came out the same."

Lohmann was even more pleased. He said had some nervous days waiting for the outcome, but appreciated the opportunity to see how reliable the county's vote-counting system is.

Under normal circumstances, the person who asks for the recount is responsible to pay associated expenses. But Taylor said he researched the history of recounts in Perry County, and judges usually have ordered the county to pick up the tab. No billing from the equipment dealer has been received, he said, so no cost estimate is available.

Lohmann's next challenger, independent Gene Tucker of Perryville, said he would have filed as a Republican if he had decided to run in time. Tucker initially thought the Eastern District commissioner had a two-year term and found out after the filing deadline that the term was lengthened to four years.

He collected 198 valid signatures to be placed on the ballot.

Tucker, 61, worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 36 years, the last eight as Frohna's postmaster. He retired nearly four years ago.

The candidate has prior political experience, having served on the Perryville Board of Aldermen from 1976-80. He said he enjoyed public service.

"I truly am an independent," Tucker said. "I've never voted a straight ticket in my life.

"I am a man of my word, and I plan to listen to the people's concerns."

He and his wife, Shirley, have six children and eight grandchildren.