Awerkamp's home county boost leads to primary election win
St. Marys businessman and mayor Francis Awerkamp won the Republican primary election Tuesday for the District 61st seat in the Kansas House of Representatives with 2,341 votes. Holton businessman and city commissioner Dan Brenner received 1,585 votes.
Awerkamp is one of many candidates seeking federal, state or local offices who will now advance to the Nov. 8 general election ballot after Tuesday’s primary.
According to figures provided by Jackson County Clerk Kathy Mick, 17.6 percent of the county’s 8,243 registered voters (1,451) participated in Tuesday’s election. Those who went to the polls included 903 Republicans and 237 Democrats.
One of the biggest races on the Republican ballot was Awerkamp and Brenner, who both sought to fill the House position currently held by Becky Hutchins of Holton.
The 61st District includes most of Jackson and Pottawatomie counties, and in Jackson County, Brenner received 768 votes, and Awerkamp received 684.
But Awerkamp was able to easily make up the difference in Pottawatomie County, where he received 1,657 votes to Brenner’s 817. A total of 5,081 registered voters in Pottawatomie County voted during the primary, it was reported.
In the fall, Awerkamp will face Democrat Lauren VanWagoner of Hoyt, who received a total of 542 votes (318 in Jackson County and 224 in Pottawatomie County) Tuesday.
In the U.S. Senate race, incumbent Republican Jerry Moran easily claimed victory during the primary with 227,170 votes over 59,962 votes for D.J. Smith. In Jackson County, Moran received 1,133 votes while Smith received 326 votes.
In the general election, Moran will face challenger Patrick Wiesner, a Democrat, who received 58,547 votes to beat Monique Singh, who received 34,262 votes. Locally, Wiesner received 290 votes, and Singh received 70.
Additional candidates who ran unchallenged in Tuesday’s primary and will automatically move on to the general election include:
* Lynn Jenkins (Republican) for U.S. Representative Second District: 1,255 votes in Jackson County.
* Britani Potter (Democrat) for U.S. Representative Second District: 311 votes in Jackson County.
* Dennis Pyle (Republican) for State Senate First District: 1,132 votes in Jackson County.
* Jerry Henry (Democrat) for State Senate First District: 323 votes in Jackson County.
* Randy Garber (Republican) for State Representative 62nd District: 40 votes in Jackson County.
* Deena Horst (Republican) for State Board of Education Sixth District: 1,032 votes in the county.
* Janet Zwonitzer (Republican) for Jackson County Commission Second District: 473 votes.
* Melvin Bailey (Republican) for Jackson County Commission Third District: 280 votes.
* Bill Elmer (Democrat) for Jackson County Commission Third District: 87 votes.
* Kathy Mick (Republican) for Jackson County Clerk: 1,328 votes.
* Bob McNicholas (Republican) for Jackson County Sheriff: 687 votes.
* Tim Morse (Democrat) for Jackson County Sheriff: 350 votes.
* Shawna Miller (Republican) for Jackson County Attorney: 1,176 votes.
* Linda Gerhardt (Republican) for Jackson County Treasurer: 1,352 votes.
* Tammy Moulden (Democrat) for Jackson County Register of Deeds: 345 votes.
The results of the primary election will be canvassed by the Jackson County Commission on Monday.
The deadline for unregistered voters to register for the general election is Oct. 18, it was reported.
