VIENNA — In the weeks leading up to the Aug. 6 primary election, the Maries County Commission has continued to discuss the possibilities for how the next Western District commissioner will be chosen.

Last month, Western District Commissioner Ed Fagre announced his intention to retire at the conclusion of his current term. The decision came after the deadline passed to certify the August ballot. Fagre’s name will appear on Democratic Party ballots during the August election.

Because he has no opposition in the primary, his name will also appear on the general election ballot on Nov. 5. No Republican filed to run for the seat, so if things stayed as they are, Fagre would win the seat and resign before the start of the term in the new year.

When Fagre announced his retirement, County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers said she had contacted the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office to learn more about the process for finding the next commissioner. Fagre could pursue a court order to remove his name from the ballot, but that would leave no candidates for the seat. The office recommended going through the election process with Fagre on the ballot and having him resign at the beginning of the new term. If he did that, then the governor would appoint his replacement after reviewing suggestions by local political parties.

Although the process of getting a gubernatorial appointment would fill the position, the commissioners continued to seek options. Presiding Commissioner Victor Stratman said during a recent commission meeting that he had talked with Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft during a recent visit Ashcroft made to the Maries County courthouse to discuss elections with the county clerk’s office.

They discussed options for Fagre’s seat.

Although it did not fully steer the process in a new direction, Stratman said he thought after speaking with Ashcroft that an election to decide Fagre’s replacement could still be a possibility. The commissioners agreed that they would favor an election instead of an appointment.

“(An election) would be more fair,” Fagre said.

“It would be better for the people to be able to pick,” Eastern District Commissioner Doug Drewel said.

During the July 1 commission meeting, Fagre asked about the possibility of a write-in candidate declaring for the election. He said someone had asked him about it.

Rodgers said her office had also heard from someone interested in the seat. She contacted the Secretary of State’s Office again to ask about the process for a write-in candidate to file for the seat in the Nov. 5 general election.

Candidates who wish to run for the Western District seat may still do so through two paths. They may file as independent write-in candidates by contacting the county clerk’s office before July 30, which is the last day for filing in the general election. Their names will not appear on the ballot, but they will be listed as eligible write-in candidates.

Another option allows candidates to file to appear on the ballot. The process requires a petition to be submitted to the county clerk’s office by July 29. In order for the candidate to appear as an independent on the ballot in November, the petition must include a number of signatures from registered Western District voters equal to at least 2 percent of the total number of voters who voted at the last election for candidates for the office being sought. In the 2020 Western District election, 233 voters cast ballots, which means a petition would require five signatures. The candidate will also need a Declaration of Candidacy form sworn by the candidate in front of an authorized figure, proof of identity and a copy of a filed affidavit submitted to the Missouri Department of Revenue. More information about the petition process is available on the Secretary of State’s website at sos.mo.gov.