REPUBLICAN BLACK WINS 161ST SEAT, DEFEATS HEARNES

CHARLESTON -- Republican Lanie Black narrowly defeated Democratic opponent and fellow Charleston resident Betty Hearnes in a tight race for the 161st state representative seat Tuesday.

Black defeated Hearnes by a margin of 4,120 to 4,076 votes to replace Rep. Gene Copeland, D-New Madrid, who is leaving office at the end of the year. Copeland, who is the longest-running state representative in Missouri history, has represented the 161st district since 1960.

Hearnes, 71, has served five terms as a state representative of the former 160th district and is a former Missouri first lady. She was somewhat disappointed, but not surprised by the election results.

Hearnes has not yet decided whether she will call for a recount of the votes. Under state law, she has the right to a recount because she was defeated by fewer than 1 percent of the votes cast.

"You're never surprised in politics. We knew it was a tough race," said Hearnes. "I'm going to look at this total first and see what I'm going to do."

Black, 51, acknowledged his victory was somewhat surprising because the district has historically favored Democratic representatives. However, attitudes might be changing as voters tire of paying for pricey, ineffective programs and declining morality at the national level, he said.

"I think it's taxes and morality, those two things more than anything," he said. "I just feel like right now at the national and the state level, the Republican party seems to be right on the issues."

Although he requested poll challengers be placed at two Mississippi County precincts that have experienced irregularities in recent elections, Black believes Tuesday's election was well-run and was conducted without any improprieties. He and Hearnes agreed not to have poll workers at any polling sites.

"They watched, and they think there were no improprieties in the way those elections went," said Black. "My goal was to have the election process go very smoothly."

Black said he did not observe any videotaping of voters at polling sites, nor does he support such actions.

"I don't think we needed to be doing that," he said. "I was very involved in the past elections and I know those things happened, and I regret that. I think we just need to forget that and go on."