August Primary Election Day: Here’s What Voters Are Deciding Tuesday

By Don Louzader
election day in america

Voters across the Ozarks and throughout Missouri are going to the polls Tuesday to decide four statewide Constitutional amendments, plus a number of other local races and issues.

What We Know: Every registered voter in the state will have something to decide Tuesday, with polls opening at 6am and closing at 7pm.

Where to Get Results: We’ll have election updates twice an hour beginning in the 6pm hour Tuesday on 93-3 and AM 560 KWTO. You can also follow results throughout the night on 93-3 KWTO.com or the KWTO App.

What You’ll Need to Know When You Get To Your Polling Place: You will need to choose a party ballot (Republican, Democratic, Libertarian) or you may cast a non-partisan “issues only” ballot.

What’s On The Ballot? Below are the statewide Constitutional amendments, local races and money issues on Tuesday’s primary ballot that we’ll be following in Greene, Christian and Webster Counties.

Amendment 1: Asks voters to continue for 10 years the state’s 1/10th-cent parks, soils and water sales tax, which was first approved in 1984 and most recently renewed in 2016, with approximately 80% of the vote. Revenues from the tax support soil and water conservation efforts, as well as state parks and historic sites. If approved, the tax will be resubmitted to voters for approval in 10 years.

Amendment 2: Would require all charter counties in Missouri to have elected assessors. Of the state’s five charter counties, only Jackson County (K-C area) does not have an elected assessor. The amendment essentially reinforces a county charter amendment overwhelmingly approved by Jackson County voters in November, 2025 requiring the county assessor to be an elected position.

Amendment 4: Would require future citizen-led constitutional amendments receive a majority vote in each of the state’s congressional districts. This would not apply to constitutional amendments approved by the state legislature. Currently, all constitutional amendments require a simple statewide majority to pass, whether placed on the ballot by the legislature or through the initiative petition process.

Amendment 5: This measure would pave the way for the state legislature to phase out the individual income tax and give lawmakers five years to offset the phaseout by increasing and expanding sales and use taxes. It would also require local tax rate cuts without reducing school funding if local sales tax revenue increases.

Local Money Issue: Nixa Fire Protection District Sales Tax:

Asks voters to consider a one percent sales tax that would help fund personnel and equipment for the Nixa Fire Protection District. Voters struck down a property tax levy for the fire department in November, 2025. Nixa’s fire district tax levy was set at 75 cents per $100 of valuation in 2003. The levy rate has been rolled back to just over 69 cents as of 2024. By statute, the district would be required to roll back its property tax levy by an amount equal to half of the revenue generated by the sales tax, if approved.

Contested Congressional Primaries:

7th Congressional District GOP Primary (Southwest Missouri)

Congressman Eric Burlison is running for a third term representing Missouri’s 7th Congressional District. He has 2 challengers in the GOP Primary: John Casey and Grayson hunt. The winner of the primary will face Democrat Messi Hesketh and Libertarian Kevin Craig in the November general election.

Burlison previously served in the Missouri General Assembly, representing House District 133 and Senate District 20. Hunt and Casey are running for office for the first time.

4TH Congressional District GOP Primary (Northern Ozarks):

Incumbent Mark Alford is running against challengers Heather Shelton and Scott Vincent Vera

4th Congressional District Democratic Party Primary:

Several candidates have filed in the Democratic Party primary, including Jordan Herrera, Wayne Russell, Hartzell Gray III, G Rick, Jeanette Cass, Ashleigh Rogers, and Randy Miller

Contested State Legislative Primaries:

State Senate District 20 Republican Primary: (Greene County outside Springfield, Barton, Dade and Webster Counties). Winner will face Democrat Sean Falconer in November.

Curtis Trent, the incumbent is running against Lori Rook.

This has become a hotly contested primary, with attack ads on both sides. Trent is seeking his second and final four-year term representing Senate District 20. He previously represented House District 133 in the Missouri House.

Rook has not served in elected office, but placed 3rd in the crowded GOP primary for State Treasurer in 2024. She is an attorney, and the sole owner and managing partner of Ozarks Elder Law.

State Senate District 29 Republican Primary: (Buffalo, Bolivar, Stockton, El Dorado Springs, Nevada and Clinton areas)

Former 7th District Congressional candidate and E-R Doctor Sam Alexander is running against Chuck Lentz and Bradley Pollitt.

The seat is currently held by Sandy Crawford, who is term-limited.

House District 139 Republican Primary: (Nixa, Clever, Billings area)

State Representative Bob Titus is running for re-election against challenger Sandy Karnes from Nixa. Karnes is the former chairwoman of the GOP’s 7th Congressional District and vice chair of the Christian County Republican Central Committee. Titus was an insurance agent and business owner before running for office in 2022.

House District 140 Republican Primary: (Ozark area) (winner will face Democrat Julia Curran from Nixa in the November election)

State Representative Jamie Gragg was first elected in 2022 and is seeking re-election to his third term.

He is being challenged by former Springfield City Council member Angela Romine, who is a small business owner and massage therapist.

She got involved in politics after serving on council in 2021 and 2022. She later vacated her seat on council to challenge Senator Lincoln Hough in District 30, losing in a tight primary.

House District 129 (Webster County, including Marshfield area) Republican Primary (Winner will face Democrat John Gray in November)

Levi Lansdown, Stan Coday and Will Worsham are the three candidates vying for the GOP nomination in the 129th District.

Greene County Contested Race: (Greene County Circuit Clerk)

The lone contested race in the primary is for Greene County Circuit Clerk. Incumbent Bryan Feemster is running against Shannon Peirce in the Republican primary. The winner will run uncontested in November.

Feemster is seeking his second four-year term as circuit clerk. The office is responsible for processing and maintaining court records, managing the court schedule and coordinating jury selection.

Christian County Contested Race: (Presiding Commissioner) (GOP)

Two GOP candidates are running to replace Lynn Morris as presiding commission. Morris did not seek re-election.

Jered Taylor is a former state representative and Terry Bible is a retired Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper.

Taylor was elected to the Missouri House in 2014 and chaired several committees during his 8 years in office. He now works for Congressman Burlison.

Bible has almost 30 years of experience in law enforcement.

Webster County Contested Races

Republican Primary for Presiding Commissioner:

Three candidates are running to replace longtime President Commissioner Paul Ipock), including Alan Rost, Mark Clifton, and Susan Vestal Johnson.

Webster County Circuit Clerk—Republican Primary:

Incumbent Stephanie D. Vestal is running against Terri Myers in the GOP primary.

Statewide Contested Race–GOP Primary for State Auditor:

Incumbent Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick is running against Gerald (Jerry) Wistrand, Junior.

Statewide Contested Race—Democratic Party Primary for State Auditor:

Quentin Wilson is running against Gregory Upchurch for the right to face the GOP primary winner in November.