OTTAWA — Retired Wellsville school principal Randall Renoud upset long-time incumbent County Commissioner Don Stottlemire in the Republican primary for the 5th District in eastern Franklin County. Renoud said he would immediately connect with his new colleagues on the commission as well try to ensure an open line of communication with residents of the district. Because no Democrat filed, Renoud will be the likely commissioner. His election was one of the few surprises in Tuesday’s primary elections. With a few exceptions, all of the primary races involved Republicans. Sheriff Jeff Richards, in his first election race as sheriff, handily won the primary over his challenger, Mike Reed, Wellsville police officer and former Franklin County deputy. Richards doesn’t have a Democratic opponent, so he’ll continue as sheriff. Richards said he’ll working on the projects he started after he was appointed by county Republican leaders to fill the unexpired term of Jeff Curry. Reed said he thanks all of the people who supported and campaigned for him. He offered congratulations to Richards. In the hotly contested primary race for the Kansas House of Representatives 59th District, a race that featured nasty radio commercials and mailings, incumbent Blaine Finch, who is finishing his first two-year term, easily won his primary contest over conservative challenger Bob Fluke, the Franklin County Republican Party chair. Finch is a moderate who was the target of conservative groups, and the race attracted sizeable spending by shadowy groups. Finch often characterized some of the commercials and mailings as lies and dirty tactics. He will face Democrat Scott Barnhart, who was unopposed. In Pomona, voters narrowly rejected two proposals that would issued more than $1 million in street repairs and to refinance an older sewer bond issue. The proposals would have added about 8.5 mills to the city’s property tax levy. In Miami County, Phil Dixon barely won the Republican nomination in a three-way race for the 1st District of the Miami County Commission. Dixon beat the second place finisher, Jacob Vickrey, by three votes. Dixon received 311 votes, Vickrey 308 votes, and Nate Apple 272 votes. Incumbent Commissioner Danny Gallagher had an easier time in the three-way Republican race for the 5th District of the county commission overwhelming his challengers Merle McKoon and Beverly Shane votes received 169 votes. No Democrat filed in either race, so the winners will be the next commissioners. Incumbent Commissioner Ron Stiles, Spring Hil,l didn’t have a Republican or Democratic challenger. In the 37th Senate District covering northern Miami County and southern Johnson County, one-week incumbent Sen. Molly Baumgardner defeated challenger Charlotte O’Hara for the Republican nomination. No democrat filed in that race. Because Pat Apple resigned the senate seat after he was named to the Kansas Corporation Commission, Baumgardner was appointed to the seat and served during the cleanup session. An off-year election was scheduled.
Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2 p.m.
