VOTERS TO DECIDE NOMINATIONS AT TUESDAY'S PRIMARY ELECTION

Polling places will be open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday as voters across Missouri decide in the primary election who will carry party banners in the Nov. 8 general election.

Only two statewide offices are on the ballot: U.S. senator from Missouri and Missouri auditor. There also is a statewide issue whether to issue $250 million in bonds to pay for construction of new prisons and university and college facilities.

Republican voters in Cape Girardeau County have five races to consider, and Democrats have one.

In the 8th congressional district, four Democrats have quietly campaigned for the nomination and a chance to unseat veteran Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson.

None of the eight Missouri congressmen seeking re-election this year are in danger of being ousted by Tuesday's primary.

But in the 5th district of Jackson county, where U.S. Rep. Alan Wheat is retiring to seek the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination, there is a packed field of 10 Democrats and three Republicans vying for a spot on the November ballot.

The effort toward replacing two veteran Southeast Missouri state legislators will begin Tuesday in the 155th and 160th district.

Four Democrats and three Republicans are trying to replace Rep. Herb Fallert, D-Ste. Genevieve, in the 155th district of Perry and Ste. Genevieve counties. Fallert is retiring after 12 years in office.

Democratic candidates: Mel Thurman, 52, an anthropologist from Ste. Genevieve; Thomas Schaaf, 40, a heavy equipment operator from Ste. Genevieve; Ray Krahn, 55, an industrial electrician from Perryville; and Franklin "Dutch" Schmidt, 67, a farmer and former sheriff of Perry County.

Republican candidates: James D. Williams, 35, a heavy equipment operator from St. Mary's; Patrick Naeger, 29, a business manager and Perry County coroner from Perryville; and Elbert "Al" Bohnert of Frohna.

In the 160th district, which includes Sikeston and a large part of north Scott County, Rep. Dennis Ziegenhorn, D-Sikeston, is retiring after 14 years. The Democratic race is between Joe Heckemeyer of Sikeston and Jim Spooler, 53, who lives near Oran and works as a salesman. The winner will face Republican John Bill, an insurance agent from Sikeston.

Races drawing the most attention in Cape County are Republican primaries for presiding commissioner and Division IV associate judge, where most candidates have purchased television time to get their message out to voters.

The race for presiding commissioner has added interest since no Democrat filed for the seat and the winner will run unopposed in November. GOP candidates are Mike Kasten, a cattle rancher and businessman from Jackson; Gerald Jones, a Jackson businessman and publisher of the Cash-Book Journal newspaper; and Howard Tooke, who retired from M.E. Leming Lumber Co. last year and is a former longtime mayor and city councilman in Cape Girardeau.

Both Jones and Kasten have been campaigning aggressively, using a combination of ads, direct mail, and door-to-door campaigning. Tooke, on the other hand, is financing his campaign personally, and has relied primarily on newspaper ads that discuss his philosophy of government and experience. He will spend about one-fifth of what his opponents will spend.

Republican Gene Huckstep is not seeking re-election this year after serving 16 years as presiding commissioner. He has endorsed Jones, as have two other Republican officeholders: Sheriff Norman Copeland and 2nd District Associate Commissioner E.C. Younghouse.

Kasten, however, has been backed by 8th district U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson, who is prominently featured in Kasten TV ads.

Jeff Dix and Allen Moss have both aggressively sought the GOP nomination for associate circuit judge. Democrat Marybelle Mueller is not seeking re-election.

The winner of the Dix-Moss primary will face Democrat Pete Statler of Jackson in November.

There also is a primary race for recorder of deeds, where Darlene Bonney of Jackson and Cheryl Stoffregen of Cape Girardeau are running on the Republican ballot. The winner will meet Democratic incumbent Janet Robert in November.

Two other Republican primary races are for associate commissioner.

In the 1st district, one-term incumbent Larry Bock of Gordonville is challenged by Fred Wilkinson of Millersville. The winner will face Democrat Jack Piepenbrok of Jackson in November.

In the 2nd district, where Younghouse is retiring, three Republicans are seeking the nomination: Public Administrator John Ferguson, David Patterson and Joe Gambill.

Democrats have their lone primary race for 2nd district associate commissioner, where Max Stovall and Andy Juden Jr. are running.

The 2nd district includes all of the city of Cape Girardeau except for Ward 17, while the 1st district includes the rest of the county.

in the city of Cape Girardeau, voters in Ward 3 will be choosing between Jack Rickard and Mike Ballou for an unexpired term on the city council. The position became open in April when Al Spradling III was elected mayor.

Statewide, the auditor's race has drawn little attention with incumbent Republican Margaret Kelly and Democratic State Sen. Steve Danner the only active candidates.

Former Gov. John Ashcroft is expected to easily win the GOP nod for the U.S. Senate seat of Republican John Danforth, who is retiring after 18 years. Ashcroft is challenged by Doug Jones of Springfield, Ron Halstead of Summersville, Joyce Lea of Kansas City, and Joseph Schwan of St. Louis.

Wheat entered the final week as the clear frontrunner in the Democratic Senate primary, but was drawing heavy fire from Jackson County Executive Marsha Murphy and Branson businessman Jim Thomas. Other Democrats on the ballot are Gerald Ortbals of St. Louis, Nicholas Clement of St. Louis, Jim Hawley of Ferguson, and Ned Sutherland of Bethany.

Libertarian candidates running for the Senate are Bill Johnson and Rickey Jamerson.

In the 8th district Democratic congressional primary, candidates include: Thad Bullock, a retired Cape Girardeau businessman and the 1992 nominee; Jay Thompson of Bourbon, retired from the Navy and state, who finished second in the `92 primary; Don Hager, an attorney from Farmington; and Gene Curtis of Matthews, an insurance agent.

Greg Tlapek of Cape Girardeau, has filed on the Libertarian ticket for Congress.