McBride sweeps to victory in primary for public administrator

Deborah McBride, the only black woman running for a Cape Girardeau County office, won the Democratic primary for public administrator Tuesday, defeating her opponent Sharla "Charlie" Harrison by 1,700 votes, taking 70 percent of the vote.

The public administrator position was the only local county race with more than one Democratic opponent.

McBride will take on Republican incumbent Phyllis Schwab in the general election.

Sheriff John Jordan posted another blowout, knocking off challenger Alan Foust by nearly 7,000 votes in the Republican primary. Jordan will run unopposed in the general election.

The sheriff's race was the most expensive of all the local campaigns. The two raised a combined $40,000.

One of the more interesting races came in the Republican primary for county treasurer where Cape Girardeau resident Roger Hudson defeated Dean Sawyer -- who had run partly on his involvement with the Republican party -- by about 1,000 votes, snagging 55 percent of the votes cast. Hudson won all 18 of Cape Girardeau's precincts. Sawyer won 16 of the 19 precincts outside of Cape Girardeau. Democrat Len Barreca awaits Hudson in the general election.

"We focused on everything," Hudson said. "We went to 9,850 households in Cape Girardeau and Jackson and the county. We worked hard. I think we just outworked our opponent, that's all. We had two good candidates and one of us had to win."

Republican John Clifton swept aside Edward Frenzel for the coroner post, gaining 73 percent of the vote. He will take on Democratic incumbent Mike Hurst in November.

bmiller@semissourian.com

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