BonnerSprings.com

Incumbents fared well in the primary election Tuesday night, with some newcomers picking up steam.

Luther Pickell, 58, appointed mayor of Edwardsville and Council member Garrett Mellott, 49, will move on to the general election in the Edwardsville mayoral race.

Pickell led the candidates with 168 votes, receiving 41.9 percent of the 401 votes cast. Mellott received 130 votes, 32.42 percent, and Jim Gray, 45, who was a newcomer to the race, received 103 votes, 25.69 percent.

Four candidates for two Edwardsville City Council at-large posts will move on to the general election April 3.

Incumbent Council member Jim Hess will advance, but he didn't receive the majority of the votes Tuesday.

Challengers Stephanie Eickhoff, 31, a homemaker and former Wyandotte County sheriff's deputy received 194 votes, or 30.17 percent of the 643 total votes cast. Bob Lane, 39, a detective with the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, received 171 votes.

Hess, 53, who came in third, received 121 votes, 18.82 percent.

John Broman, 55, a retired communications specialist, received 92 votes.

Jack S. Jones, Director of Wyandotte County Unified Government's Animal Control Department, was not actively campaigning. However, Jones pulled 65 votes for 10 percent of the total votes cast.

Bonner Springs had only one primary race, involving three candidates for the City Council Ward I post.

Incumbent James E. Schwartzman and challenger Connie Steele will advance to April's elections.

Steele, a hairdresser and owner of Mane Design & Salon, was the top vote getter with 94 votes, 59.87 percent of the 157 total votes cast. Schwartzman, 53, head mechanic for the Bonner Springs-Edwardsville school district, has been a City Council member since 1992. He received 49 votes, 31.21 percent.

Jay D. Smith, 42, a sales associate at O'Reilly Auto Parts in Bonner Springs, received 14 votes in his first attempt at city office.

In other Wyandotte County races:

Carol Marinovich and Elmer Sharp will advance in the race for Mayor/CEO post of the Wyandotte County Unified Government. Marinovich received 5,632 votes, with Sharp less than 1,000 votes behind at 4,676.

Incumbent Wyandotte County Sheriff LeRoy Green Jr. and retired Kansas City, Kan., Police Capt. Richard J. Kaminski will advance to the general election in the county sheriff's race.

In the 5th District race for the Unified Government Board of Commissioners, Piper School Board Vice President Kelly Kultala and former Board of Public Utilities President Tom Lynch will face each other in the general election.

Incumbent Tom Bruns will face newcomer Butch Ellison in the 8th District race.

Challengers Scott William Bailes, Joy D. Beery, Cathy GaMarsh, Kevin L. Stiles Jr. and incumbents Richard Kohler and David Wooten will vie for three at-large positions on the Turner School District board.