VIENNA, Mo. -- Two Maries County offices are contested on the Nov. 8 ballot, while incumbents are unopposed for four other county positions.
Republican Carol Jo Schulte and Democrat Shannon Thompson are seeking the public administrator's position currently held by Eugene Meyer, who is retiring from the office.
Thompson, 45, said he hopes to help people who can't help themselves and keep them from being taken advantage of, which he sees as an extension of his current role as Vienna's police chief.
He also wants to bring any Maries County cases being handled outside the county back into the county, and he cites his experience as a licensed auctioneer, handling estate sales, as beneficial for the job.
Schulte, a secretary for more than 30 years who works at Argyle Family Health Clinic in Argyle, cited her experience with helping people transition into different living environments.
Schulte, 55, said she wants to ensure the office's clients are safe and receive the care they need, including medical, housing, financial and basic wellbeing, and to focus on what's best for each individual to make the client's life as satisfying and enjoyable as possible.
Democrat Ed Fagre, 62, is being challenged by Republican Gary L. Honse for Western District commissioner.
Fagre, a cattle farmer and school bus driver for the Maries R-1 School District, has served in the office for 24 years. He said he wants to continue to improve county roads and replace deficient bridges to the extent the county's limited budget and federal bridge funds will allow. He also sees keeping the county's machinery in good shape as a priority.
Attempts to reach Honse for comment about his campaign were unsuccessful.
Incumbents unopposed on the ballot are Republicans Harold "Chris" Heitman for sheriff and Douglas Drewel for Eastern District commissioner, and Democrats Dana Simmons for assessor and David H. Martin for coroner.
Martin, funeral director at Birmingham-Martin Funeral Home, has served as the county coroner since being appointed by Gov. Kit Bond in 1976. Martin, 68, said he's running for another term because he wants to continue his service to the county where he was raised.
Simmons, 45, is completing her first term as assessor and a total of eight years working in the office. If adequate funding can be found in the budget, she wishes to implement GIS (graphic information system) technology, placing information online for public access.
Messages for the other unopposed candidates seeking comment were not returned.