Republicans swept most legislative seats in area

By RUDI KELLER

Southeast Missourian

Republicans swept all but one of the contested area legislative races, losing the seat GOP committees spent more than $150,000 to defend.

The only Democratic victory was in the 161st District, where Steve Hodges of East Prairie defeated Republican Gary Branum of New Madrid in a narrow victory.

The slate of races included two open seats, the 161st held by Rep. Lanie Black, R-Charleston, and the 160th, held by Rep. Peter Myers, R-Sikeston. Both are being forced out by term limits.

In the other races, Cape Girardeau Republican Nathan Cooper crushed Democratic challenger Matt Hill in the 158th District, and Rep. Billy Pat Wright beat Boyce Wooley in a rematch of their 2004 race. Both Wright and Cooper will be serving second terms. They are allowed to hold their seats for two more years.

In House Speaker Rod Jetton's 156th District, a strong fight by ironworker Michael Winder of Marquand fell short. Winder scored the highest percentage of any area challengers to an incumbent with 43.5 percent of the vote in a three-county district.

Jetton raised large sums of campaign cash from political action committees connected to groups that lobby the legislature. In the post of speaker, he is considered the second most powerful person in state government.

Winder raised most of his cash from unions in Missouri and across the nation, playing on his union ironworker roots.

The victories for Republicans continue a long string of successes that began after the late U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson took the traditionally Democratic congressional seat for Southeast Missouri. When the 2006 election year began, only two seats in the Missouri Legislature from the Eighth Congressional District remained in Democratic hands.

All the winning Republican candidates used support for gun owners' rights, opposition to abortion and allegiance to conservative principles as the basis of their campaigns.

Democratic opponents countered with similar themes, but were unable to undo the feelings of many voters.

One voter who said she chose all Democrats said she was responding to the party's slogan of "Had Enough?"

"I've had enough," social worker Marie Walker said after voting. "There is not enough for seniors and not enough for low-income families."

But most voters saw no need for change.

rkeller@semissourian.com

335-6611 extension 126

"I am ultraconservative and I want to keep it in Republican hands," James Helderman said after voting at Whitewater United Methodist Church.

rkeller@semissourian.com

335-6611 extension 126