I wouldn’t expect any rigged elections next week, but of course that won’t stop somebody from trying to claim otherwise, I suppose.
There will be no rigged elections in Platte County, I feel confident in telling you that. Heck, even the Platte County Republican Central Committee agrees. Based on a wacky resolution the local Republican committee passed in recent months in which they refused to acknowledge that Trump lost the 2020 presidential vote, rigged elections only take place in other parts of the country, not right here in River City.
Look for that fair and square pattern to continue locally next week.
“Everything is where it should be at this point ahead of the election,” Chris Hershey, a director for the Platte County Board of Elections, told me when I checked in with him on Monday of this week. “There are always a few things that need to wait until closer to election day, like loading the electronic poll books.”
Early voting has been occurring at a brisk pace in Platte County, Hershey indicated. “I pulled a report this morning that showed 3,245 ballots issued so far, which includes ballots mailed but not yet returned. We’ve had over 1,800 votes cast in the office so far with more than 1,200 of those coming during the no-excuse absentee period. I would expect we’ll have close to 400 today,” he added.
Be prepared. Expect a steady stream of voters when you head to the polls next Tuesday, Nov. 8. Turnout for the midterm election in Platte County in 2018 was 69.89 percent, Hershey says. He is predicting 71 percent turnout next week, which is high but still 10 percent less than the turnout for the 2020 presidential race, in which 82.67 percent of Platte County voters showed up for the election that according to the local GOP was only rigged in certain parts of the country.
If you want to vote early, Missouri has allowed for two weeks of no-excuse-needed absentee voting, and that period is underway until 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 7. You can show up at the Platte County Board of Elections at 2600 NW Prairie View Road in Platte City and get ’er done.
I have found the Missouri Independent to be the best source for statehouse news to keep up on the happenings of your state legislature. The publication recently had an interesting piece on some of the legislative races, taking a look at what it sees as some toss-up contests in certain districts across the state. Two of the races mentioned are in Platte County.
Here is what the Independent said about the race in House District 12, which covers much of the Parkville and Riverside areas and features Republican Tom Hutsler vs. Democrat Jamie Johnson.
“House District 12: In the district just north of Kansas City in Platte County where 52% of voters supported Joe Biden in 2020, Republican Tom Hutsler is facing off against Democrat Jamie Johnson.
“Hutsler, a businessman from Parkville, reported nearly $30,000 cash on hand heading into October, compared to $34,000 cash on hand for Johnson, an urban planner from Kansas City.”
Here’s something else to know about this race. The Kansas City Star certainly does not want Hutsler to win this campaign, for whatever reason. In a recent Wednesday edition, the Star featured a five-page negative piece about Hutsler. Surprising in this day of tight space for newspapers that a daily paper would devote a five-page spread on any topic, let alone a relatively obscure state rep race. Some Hutsler haters obviously had grabbed the ear of the Star. A couple of the topics mentioned in the Star piece were laughably irrelevant, specifically the mention of a long-ago disagreement between Hutsler, who is a successful downtown Parkville businessman, and a former downtown Parkville newspaperman who is now deceased. Not wanting to speak ill of the departed, I’ll let that subject drop.
Hutsler is strong in what he believes and isn’t shy about letting his feelings known, which rubs some folks the wrong way, but what can’t be argued is that for decades the guy has done many positive things for downtown Parkville.
And the Missouri Independent wrote this about another state representative race in Platte County that’s considered up for grabs:
“House District 14: Democratic Rep. Ashley Aune captured this previously GOP-held seat in the Kansas City Northland in 2020 by a little over 1,500 votes. Now Aune, who owns a marketing agency in Kansas City, is hoping to hold onto the seat in a rematch with her Republican opponent, Eric Holmes, an Army veteran from Kansas City. Aune enjoys a cash advantage over Holmes, reporting $73,000 on hand heading into October compared to $42,000 for the Republican.”
Multiple high-level Republicans I’ve spoken with in recent days admit Holmes has his work cut out for him in his battle to oust Aune.
We’ll see how it all plays out next Tuesday night. On Election Night, you’ll want to be following my updates on Twitter where you can find me as @ivanfoley.
The week-to-week NFL season has been crazy in its unpredictability. At least that’s my excuse, since my luck in the Landmark Pick’em contest at plattecountylandmark.com has not been good so far this season. I’m still pleased with my “buy yourself a vacation home” pick made in August of the Eagles going over their projected win total of 9.5 wins. I’m sure you’ve noticed the Eagles are still undefeated at 7-0. They need only three more victories for us to cash.
Here’s a mid-season tip for you. On a Monday night trip to the Hollywood Casino sportsbook in Kansas, where sports wagering is legal, I noticed you can get a futures ticket at +550 on the San Francisco 49ers to win the NFC championship. I suggest making a small investment on that one. Remember, that’s on winning the NFC, not winning the Super Bowl. For newcomers, this means at +550 if you risked $100 you would win $550 plus get your original $100 investment back, of course. The 49ers look legit, thanks to the fact injury forced their inexperienced quarterback Trey Lance to the bench early in the season, which brought the return of Jimmy Garoppolo to quarterback. And with the recent addition of running back Christian McCaffrey the 49ers seem primed to get on a roll. That +550 futures ticket is worth a shot. Get it now because the payback will drop when the 49ers start reeling off victories.
Shout out to the high school counselor and other staff at Maysville High School for inviting me to take part in a Career Day event at the school a couple of weeks ago. This Career Day focused on media and it was fun to be joined by local television and radio talent, as well as a talented author/photographer. Good times with great questions from the high school juniors and seniors. The school treated us like royalty, with cookies and lemonade and such. A fine display of hospitality was shown by everyone at the school. Even the road trip to Maysville was pleasant, a fun way to spend a fall Friday away from my desk.
(You can find Foley trolling for more free cookies and lemonade. Email him at ivan@plattecountylandmark.com)