Two Barton County Commissioners were re-elected Tuesday. With no opponents on the ballot, Republicans Homer Kruckenberg and Don Davis won easily, although Kruckenberg did face a write-in opponent in Sharon Wondra.
“I guess I had to win twice,” Kruckenberg said Tuesday night. With the unofficial final results in, he received 1,583 votes to 147 write-in votes, capturing another term representing the 2nd County Commission District.
In the 3rd District, Davis received 1,222 votes and there were 22 write-in votes.
Kruckenberg won the primary last August with 40 percent of the votes in a three-way race. He received 359 votes, Wondra received 268 votes and former District Judge Hannelore Kitts received 267 votes.
Wondra has worked at the Barton County Sheriff’s Office since 1990.
“I feel real blessed to be able to win against a write-in,” Kruckenberg said. “I had good support.”
As he looks to his third term on the commission, Kruckenberg said the next challenge is finding a replacement for Richard Boeckman, who resigned in October. Boeckman had served as administrator/county counselor since January 2004. For 14 years prior to that, he contracted with the county as counselor.
“We’ve got our hands full with getting a new administrator and counselor,” Kruckenberg said.
The county attorney has also filled the position of county counselor in the past. Barton County is also getting a new county attorney.
On Tuesday, Republican Amy Schartz Mellor was elected with 9,294 votes. She was unopposed and received 99.67 percent of the votes, with 31 write-ins. The current county attorney, Douglas Matthews, did not seek reelection.
Kruckenberg did not indicate that the commissioners have suggested anyone to fill the administrator and counselor positions at this time.
“We’ve got a good county attorney, I think,” Kruckenberg said when asked if Mellor has been considered. However, he said an advertisement for the open positions is being written at this time.
“This is all new ground, as far as I’m concerned,” he said.