Miller, Rhodes Win in Effingham County; Mumma Defeats Incumbent Luchtefeld for County Board

Paula Miller has worked in the Effingham County Treasurer's office for many years and touted that experience in her campaign for her own term in office. It appeared the strategy worked well.

Miller outpolled Democrat Bill Passalacqua Tuesday 10,957 to 3,424 to win the election. Passalacqua acknowledged he had no experience in the office, but campaigned that it wasn't healthy for one party to control all of the offices in the county.

That will be the case, though, after December 1.

Miller will succeed Mary Behl as County Treasurer. Behl, a long-time Democrat, pulled a Republican primary ballot to vote for her co-worker Miller. When longtime Treasurer Steve Dasenbrock retired from office to take a job in the private sector, he recommended Behl for the job. The Democrat Party, however, recommended Passalacqua for the job, but the County Board selected Behl to serve until Tuesday's election.

The other countywide contest had much more drama, much like a prizefight. By less than 100 votes, Interim Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes leads former Deputy Coroner Gerry Kingery to serve out the final two years of the unexpired term of the late Duane Guffey. The final unofficial vote total was 7,120 for Rhodes to 7,028 for Kingery. The lead changed hands several times during the course of the vote tabulation. 108 vote-by-mail ballots are yet to be counted. County Clerk Kerry Hirtzel said those ballots will likely not be counted until November 26 or 27.

When Guffey died earlier this year, a committee interviewed candidates to serve as coroner until the election. Rhodes and Kingery were both among more than a half-dozen people who applied for the job. The committee recommended Rhodes for the job to the County Board and she was selected. Kingery and the other people who worked in the office resigned, so Rhodes selected a team to assist her in the office.

Also elected to countywide office Tuesday in Effingham were incumbents County Clerk Kerry Hirtzel, Sheriff Dave Mahon and Supervisor of Assessments Pam Braun. All three were unopposed for re-election. Hirtzel received 13,065 votes, Mahon received 13,036, and Braun received 12,908 votes.

In county board contets, Republican Heather Mumma defeated Democrat incumbent Karen Luchtefeld 531 to 379 for the seat from District C. Board Chairman Jim Niemann defeated Democrat Sarah Ruholl Sehy 987 to 672 in District B, and Vice-Chairman David Campbell defeated Michael Sehy 956 to 603 in District D. Incumbent Doug McCain was re-elected unopposed in District G with 1,263 votes. The results will leave McCain as the only Democrat on the Board after December 1.

Voter turnout in Effingham County was just over 61% of those registered, a good percentage for a non-Presidential election year.