The fiscal court will have a completely different look in January, with only one incumbent magistrate remaining and one magistrate running in November in the county judge executive’s race.
The current county judge executive, Larry Russell Bryant, was defeated in the primary and only two magistrates ran for re-election.
Tony Denton retained his seat in the Republican Primary against three candidates in District 1, earning 48.91 percent of the vote.
Denton received 336 votes, Jared Stargel received 180 votes, Joe Edward Kimbler received 91 votes and Donnie G. Curry received 80 votes.
Denton led in all three precincts, with the district made up of White Oak, Eunice-Pellyton and Little Cake.
“I am proud of District 1 for voting me back in. I am glad that it’s over with and we got a new judge. I want to thank all of the voters, my family and friends for believing in me,” Denton said.
Denton and Mark Humphress were the only two magistrates seeking re-election. Humphress was defeated in District 6 by Greg Caldwell, a former magistrate. Caldwell received 411 votes with Humphress receiving 236.
“First of all, giving all praises to Jesus Christ, without him we can do nothing. A big shout out to everyone that helped and supported me through this process. Cane Valley/Holmes, Knifley/Roley, I will do my best to serve all needs in my control. I’m so excited to be able to serve you once again,” Caldwell said.
Daryl Flatt, who served as magistrate until resigning as he retired from a career at the Adair County Ambulance Service, was defeated by James “Jimmy” Eaton in District 2. The seat is currently held by Democrat Todd Davenport, who was appointed by the governor to fill the seat when Flatt resigned.
Eaton received 220 votes, Flatt received 184 votes, and Greg L. Willis received 100 votes. Eaton won his home precinct of Ozark while Flatt won his home precinct of East Columbia.
“I would love to thank everybody for taking the time to listen to my views and tell me their concerns. I also want to thank them for their time for going out and voting for me and supporting me. I am looking forward to January and working with the new fiscal court. I think we can all work together and make everything work for the betterment of the county,” Eaton said.
In District 3, Todd Smith won the Republican primary with 330 votes, followed by Brian Turner with 216 votes and Veronica Arnold with 96 votes. District 3 is the only district with a Democrat running in November, and Smith will face of with Jimmy Bennett in the General Election.
“I just want to say thank you to all the people that supported me. I’m kind of overwhelmed with the turnout. I’d like to thank my family for standing behind me and I hope with a new group, we can get in there and get things going in the right direction for our county and our district. I have a democrat opponent in November, so I still have a race ahead of me,” Smith said.
In District 4, Chris Janes held a solid lead to win with 370 votes, or 50.41 percent, against Carley Fudge, who received 215 votes, and Barry Petty, who received 149 votes.
“I am excited to be in this position now. I think I can help with the new incoming administrators we got. I’m excited to be a part of helping Adair County grow and get some things turned around. I appreciate the ones that trusted me and voted for me and gave me this opportunity. I’m a business person and I’m looking forward to helping do what I can for our county, not just District 4, but for our county in general,” Janes said.
In District 7, Richard Phelps also made a strong finish with 54.04 percent of the vote. Phelps received 441 votes, Bryan Cheatham received 284 votes, and Stephen Foster received 91 votes.
“First of all, I want to thank the voters of District 7 for their confidence in me. They had three candidates that would have been worthy of the job and they chose me. I look forward to serving the people and moving this county forward in a new direction,” Phelps said.
In District 5, Chad Brown is the only candidate, so he was not on the ballot. He is a Republican.
There was only one constable race, with incumbent Jason Rector receiving a strong vote of confidence from District 6 voters with an 82.47 percent of the vote against Louis Ponzi. Rector received 422 votes and Ponzi received 102 votes.
“I am truly humbled and grateful for the overwhelming support shown during the primary election. Thank you to everyone who placed their trust and confidence in me by reelecting me as constable. It has been an honor to serve our community for 19 years and I remain committed to working hard, serving with integrity, and being there for the citizens,” Rector said.
By Sharon Burton and Amy Pike
