Brown
upsets Harding
by Shana
Haines
Landmark reporter
A race for the state legislature opened some eyes in
Platte County on Tuesday.
Jason Brown, Republican, narrowly upended incumbent Meg
Harding, Democrat, by slightly more than a 1 percent margin.
Brown received 6,437 votes and Harding received 6,298
votes.
"I am very excited. I was excited the day I got
married. I was excited the day my children were born.
This ranks up there with that," Brown said.
"We worked extremely hard on this. The rest of
my life has been put on hold for the past six or seven
months."
Brown said he will not move to Jefferson City, and plans
to stay in Platte City.
"I am excited about the opportunity and the challenge.
I look forward to serving everyone in this district. This
is a very good thing for this district," Brown said.
Harding was seeking a second term. She was elected in
2000 on her third try.
Attempts to contact Harding for a comment were unsuccessful
at press time.
Incumbent Maurice Lawson easily won his fourth term for
29th District Senate seat. Lawson received 7,838 total
votes. His opponent, Rebecca Johnson Rooney, Republican,
received 3,773 total votes.
Charlie Shields won the 34th District Senate seat with
a total of 27,334 votes from Buchanan and Platte Counties.
Glenda Kelley, Democrat, received a total of 22,855 votes.
Independent candidate Eric Pendell received a total of
2,644 votes.
In the Sixth Congressional District race, incumbent Sam
Graves won with 128,609 total votes. Cathy Rinehart received
71,301 total votes and Erik Buck received 3,633 total
votes.
In the U.S. Senate race, Jim Talent, Republican, carried
Platte County with 13,316 total votes. Jean Carnahan,
Democrat, received 12,828 total votes. Tamara A. Millay
received 273 total votes and Daniel Romano received 109
total votes.
Platte County voters also spoke their minds on four state
constitutional amendments.
Voters accepted an amendment allowing St. Louis residents
to amend or revise their present charter to provide for
and reorganize their county functions and offices. The
vote passed with 19,502 votes. The vote received 5,409
decline votes.
A vote to establish collective bargaining for firefighters,
ambulance personnel and dispatchers, but without the right
to strike was declined with 14,353 votes. The amendment
received 11,082 yes votes in Platte County.
A vote to amend the state constitution to exclude from
the calculation of term limits for members of the General
Assembly service of less than one half of a term resulting
from a special election passed with 14,083 votes. The
issue received 10,161 votes against it.
A vote allowing a convention to revise and amend the
constitution was declined with 15,754 votes. The issue
received 8,483 votes.
Proposition A allowing an additional tax of 55 cents
per pack of cigarettes and 20 percent on other tobacco
products was approved with 13,971 votes in Platte County.
The issue received 12,041 votes against it in the county.
Statewide, the tax measure failed.
Parkville voters approved a 5 percent tax rate on hotels,
motels, bed and breakfast inns. The hotel tax received
1,055 votes for it and 562 votes against it.
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