Thomas Holds Slim Lead in GOP Auditor Race

Platte County Auditor Sandra Thomas left her campaign watch party early in the morning, going to bed knowing she held a slim lead on her nearest rival, confident she would be the Republican nominee for State Auditor in the general election. As of 3:30 Wednesday morning, Thomas led the field of five with 86,280 votes, only 1,720 more than State Representative Jack Jackson of Wildwood. Jackson, who had 84,560 votes, had already gone home, refusing to concede the election. State Senator John Loudon of St. Louis County, running third in the race, conceded earlier in the evening, saying that neither he nor Jackson could overcome Thomas’ lead. Thomas led throughout the night and widened the vote margin between herself and Jackson to 15,000 votes until totals came in from most of St. Louis County, where both Jackson and Loudon reside. The county gave huge boosts to both men, creating an extremely tight race. With only 24 of the 3,692 precincts remaining to be counted, it is doubtful Jackson can overcome Thomas’ lead, but 13 of those precincts are in St. Loius County, the most populous county in the state. Five precincts from Kansas City have yet to be totalled. The Republican primary for Auditor was the most crowded field in Tuesday’s Primary Elections. State Representative Mark Wright of Springfield received only 12% of the vote. The Republican nominee of four years ago, Al Hanson, hadn’t even been able to crack the 5% margin, finishing fifth. Buchanan County Auditor Susan Montee won the two-person race in the Democratic Primary for State Auditor.