By DOUG WILSON
Herald-Whig Senior Writer
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Political hopefuls crowded the secretary of state's office in Missouri's capital Tuesday to file for the Aug. 3 primary election.
State Sen. Wes Shoemyer, D-Paris, filed for re-election in the 18th Senate District. Republican Brian Munzlinger of Williamstown, who cannot seek re-election to the House District 1 seat because of term limits, also has filed in the Senate district.
Three candidates announced their campaigns for the District 1 House seat Munzlinger will be vacating. Democrat Keri Cottrell, a Canton teacher who challenged Munzlinger two years ago, filed late Tuesday morning. A pair of Republicans, Craig Redmon of Monticello and Neill McKee of Kahoka, are vying for the GOP nomination. The district includes all of Lewis, Clark, Knox, Scotland and Schuyler counties, and the northern part of Marion County.
In District 6, incumbent Rep. Rachel Bringer, D-Palmyra, will be unable to run because of term limits. Carl Thompson of Monroe City has filed for the Democratic nomination to succeed her.
In District 8, Rep. Tom Shively, D-Clarence, filed for re-election. Republican William Jesse Foster of Linneus filed to run in the district, which extends through Shelby, Macon and Linn counties.
In District 9, incumbent Rep. Paul Quinn, D-Monroe City, was the lone filer. His district stretches through the counties of Monroe, Audrain, Boone and Howard.
District 10 -- which includes Pike County, and parts of Audrain and Callaway counties -- will not have an incumbent running with Rep. Terry Witte, D-Vandalia, facing the term limit. However, Witte's wife, Linda Witte, has filed to seek the Democratic nomination along with Edwin Lockwood of Kingdom City. Republican hopefuls are Jay D. Houghton of Martinsburg and Dudley Michael Duke of Bowling Green.
Filings will continue through March 30.
The U.S. Senate seat that has been held since 1987 by Christopher "Kit" Bond will top the statewide ballot. Republican U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt and Democratic Secretary of State Robin Carnahan are considered the top contenders, but they were not among the first to file Tuesday.
Eight other Republicans are competing against Blunt for the GO nomination: Hector Maldonado of Sullivan, R.L. Praprotnik of St. Louis, Mike Vontz of Lake St. Louis, Davis Conway of St. Peters, James H. Schmidt of St. Charles, Chuck Purgason of Caulfield, Deborah Solomon of Independence and Kristi Nichols of Kansas City.
Francis J. Vangeli of Columbia is running against Carnahan for the Democratic nomination.
Libertarian Jonathan Dine of Riverside, and Constitution Party hopefuls Joe Martellaro of Cuba and Jerry Beck of La Monte also were early filers seeking nomination to run for the Senate seat.
In the U.S. House, Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth, is the incumbent. Luetkemeyer did not file for re-election Tuesday, but he has a challenger for the Republican nomination -- James O. Baker of St. Peters, who filed Tuesday afternoon.
All nine of Missouri's U.S. House seats are up for election this year, as well as all 163 state House seats and half the state Senate seats.
-- dwilson@whig.com/221-3372
