By BETH ZUMWALT
Newcomer to the political scene, Brooke Smith, defeated incumbent Sandra Hankins for Scott County Clerk in the Tuesday, Nov. 8, election. The total count was 1,303 for Smith, 799 for Hankins. Hankins received 68 percent of the mail-in and early votes, Smith received 1,171 of the votes cast election day.
Treasurer Mark Ford and Sheriff Thomas Eddinger, both incumbents, were both re-elected. Neither had opposition.
John Simmons, a newcomer to the county commissioners, was also unopposed.
Scott County residents voted down a proposal to add a constitutional amendment guaranteeing workers the right to negotiate for better working conditions.
The county also aligned with most of down-state Illinois when voting for governor, secretary of state, treasurer and comptroller by voting overwhelmingly for the Republican candidates. The northern portion of the state was enough to overcome the downstate Republican landslide and all the state offices went to Democrats.
C.D. Davidsmeyer, a Republican, was unopposed in retaining his seat in the 100th district and Jil Tracy, also unopposed and Republican, also was retained. Due to re-districting, Tracy will replace Steve McClure as the area’s state senator.
