Tricia Schlessiger captured the District 4 Barton County Commission Republican nomination, defeating Jon Prescott in a close race.

There were no Democratic candidates filed for the race, so barring any write-in campaigns, Schlessiger will run unopposed for the seat in the general election in November.

The commission’s Fourth District includes Ellinwood, southern portions of Great Bend south of Forest Avenue between Madison and Main streets, and Pawnee Rock.

Schlessiger won with 52.7% of the vote, a total of 636 votes of 1,206 votes cast in the race, while Prescott captured 47.3% of the vote, or 570 total votes

Prescott was running for his first full term in the seat after being selected in February to fill the seat vacated following the resignation of Jim Daily. 

Prescott’s experience includes more than 30 years at the former CPI Qualified Plan Consultants and almost five years as CEO at Sunflower Diversified Services, from which he recently retired. He has also served on the Ellinwood City Council. He currently resides in Ellinwood.

Schlessiger, who currently resides south of Ellinwood, has more than 20 years in the banking industry and operates a family farm with her husband Joe.

Both have held leadership positions in multiple local board and civic organizations throughout the county.

Prescott faced questions late in the race regarding a campaign mailing which included the use of county stationary, for which a complaint was filed with the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, after concerns the mailing had the appearance of a county endorsement of Prescott, The mailing also did not include the verbiage “Paid for by Jon Prescott for County Commissioner, Jodi Prescott, Treasurer.”

However, Prescott indicated in a response to the Tribune all county election policies were followed, and no violation occurred. Current county policy, he said, does not prohibit the use of the stationary for such mailings. And, unlike paid advertising and postcards, envelopes are exempt from the “Paid for by” requirement.