Two races on GOP primary ballot in Newton County

Joe Hadsall, The Joplin Globe, Mo.
·2 min read

Jul. 30—NEOSHO, Mo. — Newton County voters on Tuesday will decide two local races, one for presiding commissioner and the other for county auditor.

Given that no one else filed for the offices, the winners of the GOP primaries will essentially be elected without opposition in the fall.

Presiding commissioner

The candidates for presiding commissioner are Daniel Swem, Kevin VanStory, Alan Cook and Rick McCully.

—Swem, 54, has lived in Neosho for the past 52 years. He is the owner of Swem's Construction, which has been in operation for 25 years. He is also a property manager and investor. He graduated from Neosho High School in 1986.

Swem has previously served on the Neosho Parks Board.

—VanStory, 58, has lived in Neosho for the past 38 years. He is a real estate broker with SWMO Homes and was previously the general manager for Don's Honda.

He is a high school graduate and has no previous governmental experience.

—Cook, 60, is a lifelong Newton County resident who lives in Granby. He has served as an associate commissioner for District 1 of the Newton County Commission for the past nine years. Before that, he worked in information technology and human resources. He earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Oklahoma Christian University.

Before his election to the commission, he served on the Board of Education for the East Newton School District.

—McCully, 70, has lived in Newton County since 1964 and resides between Granby and Neosho. Now retired, he continues to work in sports officiating. He is a graduate of East Newton High School.

McCully previously served two terms on the East Newton School Board, including two years as president. He also served two terms on the Granby City Council and two more terms as mayor of Granby.

County auditor

Three candidates are seeking the office of county auditor. They are Ian Liss, Raleigh Ritter and Matt Major.

—Liss, 33, is a lifelong Neosho resident. He attended Missouri Southern State University and the University of Missouri.

He is the retail store manager for Prime Communications. This is his first run for elected office.

—Ritter, 43, who graduated in 1997 from Seneca High School. He graduated with a bachelor's in business from Westminster College in 2001. He returned to Seneca in 2007.

He is a co-owner of Ritter Rail Inc. and has also worked in banking and finance. He is a member of the Seneca Board of Education.

—Major, 41, is a lifelong Neosho resident. He earned a degree in accounting and finance from Missouri Southern State University.

He is a bookkeeper for Major Enterprises. This is his first attempt at elective office.

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