Editing Stone County, Missouri (section)

==Politics and government==

===Government===
Stone County is a third-class county<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bransontrilakesnews.com/news_free/article_5e37220a-23fd-11e9-bccd-4b86a91fa914.html|title=Stone Co. Commission approves 2019 budget|last=Church|first=Tim|website=Branson Tri-Lakes News|language=en|access-date=January 30, 2019}}</ref> located in Southwest Missouri. The county's government includes a 3-person County Commission (Presiding Commissioner, Northern District Commissioner, Southern District Commissioner), several elected officials, and a Road Commission consisting of the 3 County Commissioners as well as a Northern Road Commissioner and a Southern Road Commissioner. The County Commission also oversees the Planning and Zoning Department, Senior Citizens' Services Board, a Law Enforcement Restitution Board, and neighborhood improvement districts. All elected Officials in Stone County serve 4 year terms.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Galloway|first1=Nicole|title=Stone County Audit|url=http://app.auditor.mo.gov/Repository/Press/2016027268559.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601175819/http://app.auditor.mo.gov/Repository/Press/2016027268559.pdf |archive-date=June 1, 2016 |url-status=live|website=Missouri State Auditor|publisher=State of Missouri|access-date=May 18, 2016}}</ref> The county
employed 157 full-time employees (including elected officials) and 12 part-time employees as of December 31, 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Galloway|first=Nicole|title=2019 Stone County Audit|url=https://app.auditor.mo.gov/Repository/Press/2020037980114.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102105700/http://app.auditor.mo.gov/Repository/Press/2020037980114.pdf |archive-date=November 2, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The Government primarily operates out of the County Seat of [[Galena, Missouri]]. The offices of the County Commission, County Clerk, Collector of Revenue, Recorder of Deeds, Treasurer as well as the [[University of Missouri|University of Missouri Extension Office]] all operate out of the [[Stone County Courthouse (Galena, Missouri)|Historic Courthouse]] in the center of the square. The Stone County Sheriff's office, Judiciary, Circuit Clerk, and Jail are all in the Stone County Judicial Center on the east side of the square. The Assessor and Planning and Zoning offices are located in buildings on the south side of the square.

The [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] completely controls politics at the local level in Stone County. All current office holders are members of the Republican Party. Elected Officials in Stone County on average have a long tenure once elected to office.{{Missouri county elected officials|name=Stone County, Missouri|recorder=Amy Jo Larson|surveyorparty=Republican|surveyor=Rick Kemp|coronerparty=Republican|districtsouthparty=Republican|districtsouth=Hank Smythe|districtnorthparty=Republican|districtnorth=Wayne Blades|treasurerparty=Republican|treasurer=Kristi Stephens|sheriffparty=Republican|sheriff=Doug Rader|recorderparty=Republican|administratorparty=Republican|assessor=Matt Daugherty|administrator=Glenda (Wendy) Metcalf|prosecutorparty=Republican|prosecutor=Matt Selby|collectorparty=Republican|collector=Anna Burk|presidingparty=Republican|presiding=Mark W. Maples|countyclerkparty=Republican|countyclerk=Denise Dickens|circuitclerkparty=Republican|circuitclerk=Michelee Lebow|assessorparty=Republican|coroner=John Cunnyngham}}

===State===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;"
|+ Past Gubernatorial Elections Results
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
! Year
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
! [[Third Party (United States)|Third Parties]]
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[2024 Missouri gubernatorial election|2024]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''78.98%''' ''14,911''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|19.32% ''3,647''
|align="center" |1.71% ''322''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[2020 Missouri gubernatorial election|2020]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''79.84%''' ''14,704''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|18.46% ''3,399''
|align="center" |1.7% ''314''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[Missouri gubernatorial election, 2016|2016]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''72.28%''' ''11,920''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|25.07% ''4,135''
|align="center" |2.64% ''436''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[Missouri gubernatorial election, 2012|2012]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''59.29%''' ''9,434''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|37.86% ''6,025''
|align="center" |2.85% ''453''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[Missouri gubernatorial election, 2008|2008]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''49.53%''' ''8,043''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|47.46% ''7,708''
|align="center" |3.01% ''489''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[Missouri gubernatorial election, 2004|2004]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''67.23%''' ''10,176''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|31.66% ''4,791''
|align="center" |1.11% ''168''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[Missouri gubernatorial election, 2000|2000]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''60.91%''' ''7,338''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|37.22% ''4,484''
|align="center" |1.87% ''225''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[Missouri gubernatorial election, 1996|1996]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''58.55%''' ''5,886''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|38.11% ''3,831''
|align="center" |3.34% ''336''
|}
Stone County is divided into two legislative districts in the [[Missouri House of Representatives]], both of which are held by Republicans.

*District 138 — Brad Hudson (R-Cape Fair). Consists of almost all of the county.

{{Election box begin|title=Missouri House of Representatives — District 138 — General Election (2020)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Republican Party (United States)|candidate='''Brad Hudson'''|votes='''18,652'''|percentage='''100.0%'''|change=}}
{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin|title=Missouri House of Representatives — District 138 — General Election (2018)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Republican Party (United States)|candidate='''Brad Hudson'''|votes='''14,734'''|percentage='''100.0%'''|change=}}
{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin|title=Missouri House of Representatives — District 138 — Republican Primary (2018)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Republican Party (United States)|candidate='''Brad Hudson'''|votes='''4,691'''|percentage='''78.972%'''|change=|}}{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Republican Party (United States)|candidate=Marshall Works|votes=949|percentage=15.976|change=}}{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Republican Party (United States)|candidate=Isaac Howard Paul Boyd|votes=300|percentage=5.051|change=}}
{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin|title=Missouri House of Representatives — District 138 — Stone County (2016)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Don Phillips'''
  |votes      = '''14,254'''
  |percentage = '''100.00%'''
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=Missouri House of Representatives — District 138 — Stone County (2014)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Don Phillips'''
  |votes      = '''7,514'''
  |percentage = '''100.00%'''
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=Missouri House of Representatives — District 138 — Stone County (2012)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Don Phillips'''
  |votes      = '''13,531'''
  |percentage = '''100.00%'''
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box end}}

*District 158 — Scott Cupps (R-[[Shell Knob, Missouri|Shell Knob]]). Consists of a small, unincorporated region in the northwest part of the county, located just south of Crane.  
{{Election box begin|title=Missouri House of Representatives — District 158 — Stone County (2016)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Scott Fitzpatrick'''
  |votes      = '''105'''
  |percentage = '''100.00%'''
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=Missouri House of Representatives — District 158 — Stone County (2014)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Scott Fitzpatrick'''
  |votes      = '''47'''
  |percentage = '''100.00%'''
  |change     = '''+11.54'''
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=Missouri House of Representatives — District 158 — Stone County (2014)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Scott Fitzpatrick'''
  |votes      = '''92'''
  |percentage = '''88.46%'''
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Constitution Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Sue Beck
  |votes      = 12
  |percentage = 11.54%
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box end}}

All of Stone County is a part of Missouri's 29th District in the [[Missouri Senate]] and is currently represented by Mike Moon (R-[[Ash Grove, Missouri|Ash Grove]])
{{Election box begin|title=Missouri Senate — District 29 — Stone County (2016)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''David Sater'''
  |votes      = '''14,004'''
  |percentage = '''100.00%'''
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=Missouri Senate — District 29 — Stone County (2012)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''David Sater'''
  |votes      = '''13,503'''
  |percentage = '''100.00%'''
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box end}}

===Federal===
{{Election box begin|title=U.S. Senate — Missouri — Stone County (2016)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Roy Blunt'''
  |votes      = '''11,620'''
  |percentage = '''70.33%'''
  |change     = '''+14.65'''
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Jason Kander
  |votes      = 4,162
  |percentage = 25.19%
  |change     = -11.00
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Jonathan Dine
  |votes      = 448
  |percentage = 2.71%
  |change     = -5.42
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Green Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Johnathan McFarland
  |votes      = 137
  |percentage = 0.83%
  |change     = +0.83
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Constitution Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Fred Ryman
  |votes      = 155
  |percentage = 0.94%
  |change     = +0.94
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=U.S. Senate — Missouri — Stone County (2012)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Todd Akin
  |votes      = 8,769
  |percentage = 55.68%
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Claire McCaskill'''
  |votes      = '''5,699'''
  |percentage = '''36.19%'''
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Jonathan Dine
  |votes      = 1,281
  |percentage = 8.13%
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box end}}

All of Stone County is included in [[MO-07|Missouri's 7th Congressional District]] and is currently represented by [[Eric Burlison]] (R-[[Springfield, Missouri|Springfield]]) in the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]].
{{Election box begin|title=U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 7th Congressional District — Stone County (2016)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Billy Long'''
  |votes      = '''12,384'''
  |percentage = '''76.00%'''
  |change     = '''+4.55'''
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Genevieve Williams
  |votes      = 3,270
  |percentage = 20.07%
  |change     = -1.69
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Benjamin T. Brixey
  |votes      = 640
  |percentage = 3.93%
  |change     = -2.86
  }}
{{Election box end}}  
{{Election box begin|title=U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 7th Congressional District — Stone County (2014)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Billy Long'''
  |votes      = '''6,087'''
  |percentage = '''71.45%'''
  |change     = '''+1.44'''
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Jim Evans
  |votes      = 1,854
  |percentage = 21.76%
  |change     = -3.11
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Kevin Craig
  |votes      = 578
  |percentage = 6.79%
  |change     = +1.67
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri’s 7th Congressional District — Stone County (2012)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Billy Long'''
  |votes      = '''10,967'''
  |percentage = '''70.01%'''
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Jim Evans
  |votes      = 3,896
  |percentage = 24.87%
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Kevin Craig
  |votes      = 802
  |percentage = 5.12%
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box end}}

====Political culture====
{{PresHead|place=Stone County, Missouri|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|15,357|3,620|202|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|14,800|3,506|214|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|13,158|2,887|600|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|11,787|3,923|337|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|11,147|5,029|269|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|10,534|4,578|77|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|7,793|4,055|303|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|5,223|3,497|1,441|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|4,035|3,256|1,905|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|5,080|2,889|32|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|5,706|2,119|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|4,780|2,210|219|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|3,457|2,358|27|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|4,180|1,094|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|3,006|1,004|455|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1964|Republican|2,377|1,835|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|3,201|890|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|2,939|1,049|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|3,172|748|11|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|2,222|892|7|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|3,080|737|1|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|3,598|1,041|8|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1936|Republican|3,366|1,366|13|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|1,748|1,911|29|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|2,972|559|12|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|1,871|626|363|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|2,749|672|79|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|1,525|621|122|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1912|Republican|946|506|829|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|1,376|477|138|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|1,219|337|102|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|1,182|573|60|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|1,094|827|7|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1892|Republican|805|279|223|Missouri}}
{{PresFoot|1888|Republican|854|303|105|Missouri}}

Like most counties situated in Southwest Missouri, Stone County is a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. [[George W. Bush]] carried Stone County in [[2000 United States presidential election|2000]] and [[2004 United States presidential election|2004]] by more than two-to-one margins, and like many other rural counties throughout Missouri, Stone County strongly favored [[John McCain]] over [[Barack Obama]] in [[2008 United States presidential election|2008]]. The solitary Democratic presidential candidate to win Stone County since the Civil War has been [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] in 1932,<ref>Menendez, Albert J.; ''The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004'', pp. 239-246 {{ISBN|0786422173}}
</ref> and even Roosevelt won by only 163 votes out of 3,688.<ref>Robinson, Edgar Eugene; ''The Presidential Vote; 1896-1932'' (second edition); pp. 226-227 Published 1947 by Stanford University Press</ref>

Like most rural areas throughout the Bible Belt in Southwest Missouri, voters in Stone County traditionally adhere to socially and culturally [[Conservatism|conservative]] principles which tend to strongly influence their Republican leanings. In 2004, Missourians voted on [[Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 (2004)|a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman]]—it overwhelmingly passed Stone County with 79.87 percent of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71 percent of support from voters as Missouri became the first state to ban [[same-sex marriage]]. In 2006, Missourians voted on [[Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 (2006)|a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state]]—it narrowly failed in Stone County with 52.80 percent voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51 percent of support from voters as Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approve [[Embryonic stem cell|embryonic stem cell research]]. Despite Stone County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing [[Populism|populist]] causes like increasing the [[minimum wage]]. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Stone County with 76.72 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 78.99 percent voting in favor as the minimum wage was increased to $6.50 an hour in the state. During the same election, voters in five other states also strongly approved increases in the minimum wage.

====2008 Missouri presidential primary====
;Democratic
Former [[U.S. Senator]] and [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[Hillary Clinton|Hillary Rodham Clinton]] (D-[[New York (state)|New York]]) won Stone County over [[President of the United States|President]] [[Barack Obama]] (D-[[Illinois]]) by an almost two-to-one margin with 61.76 percent of the vote while Obama received 35.17 percent of the vote. Although he withdrew from the race, former U.S. Senator [[John Edwards]] (D-[[North Carolina]]) still received 2.16 percent of the vote in Stone County.

;Republican
Former [[Governor of Arkansas|Governor]] [[Mike Huckabee]] (R-[[Arkansas]]) won Stone County with 45.01 percent of the vote. [[U.S. Senator]] [[John McCain]] (R-[[Arizona]]) finished in second place in Stone County with 31.82 percent. Former [[Governor of Massachusetts|Governor]] [[Mitt Romney]] (R-[[Massachusetts]]) came in third place, receiving 18.80 percent of the vote while [[Libertarianism|libertarian]]-leaning [[U.S. Representative]] [[Ron Paul]] (R-[[Texas]]) finished fourth with 2.74 percent in Stone County.

Mike Huckabee received more votes, a total of 2,528, than any candidate from either party in Stone County during the 2008 Missouri presidential primaries.{{Clear}}