Voters Choose Candidates in August Primary

The Clay County Primary Election is Tuesday, August 4th, and the races are highly anticipated with several candidates running to be on the ballot in November.

Primary Election is Tuesday, August 4th

There are ten candidates running for Commissioner on Tuesday: four to represent the Eastern District and six to represent the Western District. The Republican and Democrat candidates with the most votes will advance to the general election in November. The three Republicans running in the Eastern District are current Clay County Clerk Megan Thompson, former State Representative Doug Ervin, and Dan Troutz. Dustin Bell is the only Democrat in the race for Eastern District.

There are four Republicans and two Democrats running to represent the Western District in the primary. The Republican and Democrat candidate with the most votes will advance to the general election in November. Josiah Bechtold, former Gladstone Mayor Barry McCullough, former Randolph Police Chief Rodney Phillips, and current Clay County Collector Lydia McAvoy, are the Republican hopefuls in this contest. Outgoing State Representative Jon Carpenter and Current Clay County Assessor Cathy Rinehart are the two Democrats.

In addition to the Western and Eastern Commissioner primary, Clay County residents will also be voting on Assessor, Treasurer, Sheriff and Public Administrator, as well as U.S. Congress and Missouri State office seekers that will go to the general election in November.

Constitutional Amendment number two is also on the ballot for Missourians to consider. It calls for Medicaid Expansion as set forth in the Affordable Care Act. State government entities are estimated to have one-time costs of approximately $6.4 million and an unknown annual net fiscal impact by 2026 ranging from increased costs of at least $200 million to savings of $1 billion. Local governments expect costs to decrease by an unknown amount.

Proponents of the amendment say it will increase access and equity to healthcare as well as help small, rural healthcare systems. Opposing views say the amendment is a great financial risk for Missouri because if federal funding to Missouri went away because of the federal deficit, Missouri would be constitutionally obligated to make up the entirety of the cost for expanding Medicaid.

More information about polling places and times and a list of candidates and offices can be found on the Clay County Board of Election Commissioners website.

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story