McCormick to run for re-election in Scott County

Scott County Commissioner Ron McCormick has already made his decision -- though the general election is more than a year away, he's decided to try and win the seat he was appointed to earlier this year.

McCormick said he's decided to run for election as the commissioner representing the county's northern district, which would make him the first Republican commissioner to win election since 1920. McCormick was appointed to the seat early this year after Jamie Burger won the election for Presiding Commissioner, forcing him to vacate the seat McCormick now holds.

History says McCormick doesn't have much chance of winning election -- since 1920 only two Republicans have served on the county commission. The last to do so was Ralph Boyer of Sikeston, who was appointed by then-Gov. John Ashcroft in May 1989 to represent the county's southern district. The appointment came in the wake of commissioner Eldon Ziegenhorn's resignation for health reasons. Ziegenhorn's son Dennis, also a Democrat, now holds that seat.

Before Boyer's appointment, William Pfefferkorn served as a Republican, winning election in 1920 and going down to defeat two years later.

The next year Boyer was defeated by a Democrat when he sought election.

But McCormick hopes his record and his growing relationship with people in his district can overcome party affiliation in a county where every office holder is from the Democratic party.