For the most part, Platte County voters—with their 43% turnout— shared similar opinions to the majority of others casting ballots across the state of Missouri on Tuesday.
For instance, Platte County Democrats preferred Claire McCaskill for their party’s nomination for governor. McCaskill was liked by 56% of voters in Platte County over incumbent Gov. Bob Holden with 41%. McCaskill won the nomination, carrying 52% of the vote statewide to 45% for Holden. She will face Republican Matt Blunt in the November general election.
In the two statewide constitutional amendment questions, Platte County also voted with the majority statewide in defeating the gambling proposal for Rockaway Beach in southwest Missouri and supporting the question defining marriage as only being between a man and woman.
Platte County voters said no to the gambling question 51-49%. Statewide, it was defeated 56% to 44%.
Platte County voters favored the marriage question 64% to 36%. It passed statewide by a margin of 71% to 29%.
County voters residing within Kansas City followed the citywide trend in supporting the tax proposal for a new downtown arena. Platte County voters residing in Kansas City said yes to the tune of 60% to 40%. Citywide, the tax passed 57% to 43%.
Platte County Democrats followed the state trend in picking their candidate for state treasurer, liking Mark Powell over Jason Klumb and Mark Abel. In Platte County, Powell had 38% to 36% for Klumb and 26% for Abel.
It was the same in that party’s nomination for lieutenant governor, where Rebecca Cook won statewide and also carried Platte County with 66% of the vote over Ken Jacob’s 34%.
In the race for the Democratic nomination for state representative in the 29th district, which covers Weston in Platte County and goes into south St. Joseph, Platte County voters preferred Jason Lawson, son of current state representative Maurice Lawson, with 45% of the vote to 20% for Jim Pitts, 18% to Ed Schellhorn, 12% for Martin Rucker and 5% for Ben Burtnett. But it was Rucker who won the nomination districtwide with 31%. His closest competitor districtwide was Schellhorn with 27%.
REPUBLICAN RACES
Platte County Republicans supported Chris Byrd of Platte County in his race for the nomination for state attorney general. Byrd won Platte County 88% to 12% over Dewey Crepeau and also won statewide, 83% to 17%. Byrd will face incumbent Jay Nixon, Democrat, in the November general.
Platte County Republican voters went against the statewide winner for their party’s nomination for lieutenant governor, preferring Patricia Secret over Peter Kinder 54% to 46%. But Kinder won the nod statewide by a margin of 56% to 44%.
Local Republicans did go with the winning candidate in the state treasurer’s race, siding with State Sen. Sarah Steelman of Rolla. Steelman got 35% of the vote in Platte County and won with 39% statewide. She’ll face Mark Powell in the November general.