Doug McNett, director for the Center for Counseling in Great Bend, upset reigning Pawnee County Attorney John Settle, in Tuesday’s Republican primary and it wasn’t close. McNett had 1,012 votes (65 percent) and Settle settled for 548 votes.
McNett had worked as a part-time employee for the Pawnee County attorney, working alongside Settle. McNett had campaigned as a new voice for the Pawnee County legal system.
Settle was instrumental in helping the newly-named Pawnee Valley Community Hospital retain a critical care license from the former St. Joe Hospital. Settle has represented the legal interests of the Pawnee County commission and spoke numerous times on behalf of the county in Topeka before state legislators and committees. Settle is currently coordinating a committee that will provide information from the Larned State Hospital complex to the legislative interim study authorized by the Legislative Coordinating Council.
Incumbent Pawnee County Clerk Ruth Searight needed her years of experience to edge Robert Manry 807-767 in a tightly-contested vote. Manry is business manager at the Larned Juvenile Correctional Facility.
Larry Salmans outpolled Mary Jo Taylor 907-654 in Pawnee County for the 33rd District State Senator, but Taylor was leading the area-wide runoff.
Great Bend’s Roger Marshall outpolled imcumbent Tim Huelskamp 813-667 in Pawnee County for the 1st District U.S. Rep. seat.