Smith elected New Madrid County treasurer

NEW MADRID - Renee Westmoreland Smith will be New Madrid County’s next treasurer.

Smith, a Republican, outpolled Democrat Mary Hunter Starnes, 2,715 to 1,595 to win Tuesday’s general election. In the only contested countywide race on the New Madrid County ballot, Smith was selected to replace Steve Riley, who is retiring.

Following the announcement of the final vote, Smith offered her thanks to the citizens of New Madrid County who supported her.

“I intend to do the job to the best of my ability to serve the citizens of the county,” Smith said. “I would also like to thank Mary Hunter Starnes for running a good race and being an ethical opponent.”

The selection of a Republican to office was a trend for county voters across the ballot.

Other than the treasurer’s race, none of the county officeholders up for election faced a challenge Tuesday. Republicans elected to office and their vote totals were: Associate Judge Joshua D. Underwood, 3,779; Presiding Commissioner Mark Baker, 3,640; County Clerk Amy Brown, 3,680; Circuit Clerk Shannon Harris-Landers, 3,680; Prosecuting Attorney Andrew C. Lawson, 3,623; and County Collector Dewayne Nowlin, 3,747. Democrat Kim St. Mary Hall received 2,984 votes to serve another term as county recorder.

In the 149th District, which includes New Madrid County, Republican Donnie Brown was unopposed. Brown received 3,817 votes from local voters.

Like voters across Missouri, New Madrid County residents casting ballots on Tuesday opted for Republican Eric Schmitt, who received 3,341 votes. Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine garnered 964 votes in the county while Jonathan Dine, the Libertarian candidate, had 76 votes and Constitutional Party candidate Paul Venable received 25 votes. None of the declared write-in candidates for the U.S. Senate received votes in the county.

Republican Scott Fitzpatrick was also the overwhelming choice for voters in the county who gave him 3,370 votes to defeat Democrat Alan Green (917 votes) and Libertarian John A. Hartwig Jr. (74 votes).

For U.S. Eighth District Representative Jason Smith, a Republican, was returned to office. In New Madrid County Smith had 3,434 votes to defeat challengers, Democrat Randi McCallian and Libertarian Jim Higgins. McCallian had 903 votes and Higgins 56 votes in the county.

New Madrid County residents agreed with those statewide retaining Supreme Court Judges Zel M. Fischer and Robin Ransom. Locally Fisher had 2,801 yes votes to 929 no votes and Ransom received 2,745 yes votes and 926 no votes.

Also local voters opted to retain Southern District Appeals Judges Don Burrell and Jack Goodman. Burrell had 2,767 yes votes and 903 no votes in New Madrid County while Goodman had 2,802 yes votes and 860 no votes locally.

On the four proposed amendments, local voters favored only two of them.

Amendment 1, which would amend the Missouri Constitution to allow the General Assembly to override current constitutional restrictions on investments by the state treasurer, was voted down statewide and by local votes. In New Madrid County there were 2,484 no votes and 1,583 yes votes.

Approved by Missouri voters were Amendment 3, which, would legalize recreational marijuana in Missouri, and Amendment 4, which would allow the general assembly to increase minimum funding for a police force established by the state board of police commissioners. In New Madrid County, the no votes edged out the yes votes on Amendment 3 by a vote of 2,327 to 2,012. On Amendment 4, the local ballot total was 2,862 yes votes to 1,338 no votes.

Like voters statewide, local voters also approved Amendment 5, which would make the Missouri Department of National Guard a state agency. There were 2,740 yes votes and 1,426 no votes in the county.

Also local residents were in the majority opposing a Constitutional Convention. The local vote was 2,844 no to 1,286 yes votes.

Overall New Madrid County Clerk Amy Brown said she was pleased with how smoothly Tuesday’s election went. She noted it was the largest turnout for an election since her appointment at the first of the year as county clerk with 4,477 of the county’s 11,139 eligible voters, or just over 40 percent, picking up a ballot on Tuesday.