From the first votes reported, the challenger never led in the race for circuit court judge.
Cole County's Republican voters endorsed incumbent Judge Jon Beetem for a second six-year term by a better than 2-to-1 margin - 7,655 votes (68.26 percent) to Steven Kretzer's 3,560 votes (31.74 percent).
"I think people looked at the experience and what we've done in the last six years," Beetem said.
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