PRIMARY SETS CONTESTS FOR SOUTHEAST LEGISLATIVE SEATS

State Rep. BIll Foster of Poplar Bluff, Mo., earned the right to challenge for a spot in the Missouri General Assembly's upper chamber Tuesday while the field also narrowed in three state representatives districts.

Foster earned 4,664 votes to beat former highway patrolman Les Enderle, also of Poplar Bluff, who garnered 1,195 votes, in the Republican primary in the 25th Senate District. The district encompasses parts of Butler, Dunklin, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Stoddard and Wayne counties.

Foster will face incumbent Democratic Sen. Jerry Howard of Dexter, Mo., in November. Howard was unopposed in the primary.

In the race for the 156th state representative seat Foster is vacating, Katherine Golden of Hiram, Mo., beat out Bill Pedigo Jr. of Zalma, Mo., on the Democratic ballot. Golden collected 2,556 votes and Pedigo earned 966 votes.

She will face Rod Jetton of Marble Hill, Mo., in the general election.

Jetton earned 1,794 votes to beat fellow Republican Tim Slayton of Fairdealing, Mo. Slayton earned 1,408 votes.

In the 159th district, Rob Mayer of Dexter will face incumbent Rep. Marilyn Taylor Williams of Dudley, Mo., in November.

Mayer, a Republican, earned 1,105 votes to the 295 votes cast for Larry E. Sandage of Dexter. Williams was first elected to the House in 1991.

In a nine-person field of hopefuls looking to replace retiring Rep. Jim Graham, Fredericktown, Mo., in the 106th District, voters selected Linda Cruse as the Democratic nominee and Tom Burcham as the Republican choice.

Cruse, of Farmington, Mo., earned 1,149 votes to beat out Bill Killian of Fredericktown, 387 votes; Jim Henson of Farmington, 1,004 votes; and Keith DeSpain of Fredericktown, 1,111 votes.

On the Republican side, Burcham of Farmington earned 854 votes to beat out Joe Stephenson, 215 votes; Bill Hart, 392 votes; James Kevin Hovis, 283 votes; and Richard Macke, 224 votes. Other than Burcham, all the Republican candidates were from Fredericktown.