Loretta Mohorc wins Chaffee mayor race

Chaffee voters selected their new mayor in Tuesday's election in a close vote between two sitting city council members, Loretta Mohorc and Jesse "Jack" Nordin, in a race that had no incumbent.

Mohorc edged out Nordin 314 to 275, according to unofficial totals from the Scott County clerk's office. Both candidates had run on similar platforms of improving infrastructure, attracting business and government efficiency, and many people in Chaffee speculated the race would come down to a battle between Mohorc and Nordin.

Four candidates entered the race for the open seat that was vacated when Bill Cannon retired as mayor last fall. The other two candidates were Ronald Davis, a Chaffee businessman, and Hope Huey, a waitress with no political experience.

Huey made the most noise as a candidate by campaigning on a platform of cleaning up a police department that has been mired in controversy and promoting open government. Huey had publicly supported former Chaffee police officer Daniel Ayers, who was arrested in March on suspicion of patronizing prostitution. Ayers said he had been targeted because he was ready to expose wrongdoing by the city administration and police department.

Huey received only 23 votes, while Davis received 74. Huey's son Charles said Tuesday night that she was upset with the outcome of the vote, since more people had expressed support to her than reflected in the vote.

"The voters didn't seem to want change," Charles Huey said.

Mohorc was occupied with other matters and couldn't comment Tuesday night.

In other elections, father and son Ron Diebold Sr. and Ron Diebold Jr. both won election to the Oran Board of Aldermen in wards 1 and 2, respectively. Mother and son Debbie Eichhorn and Jaeson Fraser won election to the Chaffee City Council in Ward 1 and Ward 2, respectively.

Two incumbents lost in cities in the northern part of Scott County -- Ward 2 Scott City Councilman John Crail lost to Leann Wilthong and Ward 3 Chaffee City Councilman Bill Dysinger lost to Ronald Moyers.

Results for all county races are available at www.scottcountymo.com.

List of winners in Chaffee, Oran and Scott City races:

Chaffee Mayor:

Loretta Mohorc

Chaffee City Council Ward 1:

Jaeson Fraser (unopposed)

Chaffee City Council Ward 2:

Debbie Eichhorn

Chaffee City Council Ward 3:

Ronald Moyers

Chaffee City Council Ward 4:

Tom Cunningham

Oran Board of Aldermen Ward 1:

Ron Diebold, Sr.

Oran Board of Aldermen Ward 2:

Ron Diebold, Jr.

Oran Board of Aldermen Ward 3:

Brenda Cook (unopposed)

Oran Board of Aldermen Ward 4:

Danny Forehand

Scott City Council Ward 1:

Mike Ellison (unopposed)

Scott City Council Ward 2:

Leann Wilthong

Scott City Council Ward 3:

Robert Tyler (unopposed)

Scott City Council Ward 4:

Larry Taylor (unopposed)