November 3 elections: Democrats pick up seat in House

Information provided by Trent Watson

The Republican majority in the Missouri House of Representatives is a little smaller following Tuesday’s special elections to fill three vacant seats.

The Republicans lost a seat in the Kansas City suburbs where Democrat Rory Rowland defeated Republican Brian DeMoss 58% to 36%. Constitution Party candidate Richard McKie tallied 5%. The seat had been vacated by Republican Noel Torpey (R-Independence) who became executive director of the Fair Energy Rate Action Fund at the end of the legislative session last December.

The other two contests kept their seats in the same party.

In House District 36 in Kansas City, Democrat Daron McGee beat Republican Nola Wood, 56% to 25%. Independent Mary Anne Drape was a Democrat who ran as an Independent after she was not selected to run for the seat by the local committee. She finished with 16% of the vote. Libertarian Timothy Peterman garnered .6% of the vote. McGee replaces Kevin McManus (D-Kansas City) who left the House in 2015 when he won a seat on the Kansas City Council.

In House District 89, the district once represented by House Speaker John Diehl (R-Town and Country), Dean Plocher held the seat for the Republicans with a 60% – 39% margin of victory over Democrat Al Gerber Tuesday night.

The special election results mean that the Republican majority in the House now sits at 118 Republicans to 45 Democrats and 1 Independent.

There are currently two open seats in the Missouri Senate. Former President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey (R-St. Charles) and Sen. Paul LeVota (D-Independence) have resigned since the end of the legislative session. Special elections in their districts have not been scheduled yet. The Senate make-up stands at 24 Republicans, 8 Democrats and 2 vacancies.