By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett has unofficially won re-election by easily winning the Republican primary today over Keith Dudley.
Puett received 5,833 voters, or 61% of the Republican votes cast with Dudley, a St. Joseph Police Sergeant, receiving 3,742. No Democrat filed for sheriff. Puett faces no opposition this November for his second term.
Dean VanSchoiack has won the Republican primary for the 9th District State Representative spot by winning big in Andrew County.
VanSchoiack received 4,046 votes, almost 57% of the votes. Tina Goodrick was in the lead with 50.84% of the vote when results from Buchanan County came in, but that only accounted for 1,573 votes. The rest of the votes came in later Tuesday night from Andrew County, giving VanSchoiack the victory.
VanSchoiack will face Democrat Karen Planalp, who ran unopposed in the primary.
Incumbent 9th District State Representative Sheila Solon is leaving due to of term limits.
Dean Wilson easily wins the Republican nomination for Assessor over two other candidates. Wilson won 51% of the Republican votes, easily outdistancing Jeff King and Alexis Crump.
Democrat Chad Farrow ran unopposed for Auditor in the Democratic primary.
Buchanan County voters rejected Medicaid expansion with 7,408 voting against and 6,988 voting in favor.
A proposal to end the county quarter-cent capital improvement sales tax passed overwhelmingly with 71% of the of the vote; 10,231 ballots cast in favor with 4,127 case against.
A little more than 28% of Buchanan County registered voters cast ballots in the primary today with 14,548 ballots cast. The county has 51,655 registered voters.
Sarah Thomack contributed to this article.