Editing Monroe County, Missouri (section)

==Government and politics==
{{More citations needed|section|date=November 2020}}

===Local===
The [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] used to dominate politics at the local, state and federal levels in Monroe County. However, like the rest of the state, the county has swung heavily towards the Republican Party in recent years, with Republicans now controlling 10 of the 13 elected positions in the county. 

The GOP began to make gains in the county in [[2006 United States elections|2006]] at the state and federal level, and has gained ground in almost every election since.

Monroe County voters have selected Republican candidates over Democrats in 13 consecutive [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House]] elections ([[1998 United States House of Representatives elections#Missouri|1998]] through [[2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Missouri|2022]]), the last nine [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] elections ([[2000 United States Senate election in Missouri|2000]] through [[2022 United States Senate election in Missouri|2022]]), six continuous [[President of the United States|presidential]] contests ([[2000 United States presidential election in Missouri|2000]] through [[2020 United States presidential election in Missouri|2020]]), four of five gubernatorial elections ([[2004 Missouri gubernatorial election|2004]] through [[2020 Missouri gubernatorial election|2020]]), five of six [[Missouri Senate|state Senate]] races, and the last four [[State Auditor of Missouri|state auditor]] races ([[2010 Missouri State Auditor election|2010]] through [[2018 Missouri State Auditor election|2022]]). In [[2014 Missouri elections|2014]], for the first time in history,{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}} Republican [[Jim Hansen (Missouri politician)|Jim Hansen]] defeated a Democrat to represent the county in the [[Missouri House of Representatives|state House of Representatives]]. In 2016, for the first time in history, Ron Staggs, a Republican, was elected to a county office when he defeated a Democratic opponent for western commissioner. In 2018 two Republicans were elected to county offices: Talley Kendrick, the first Republican to run unopposed in a general election won as prosecuting attorney, and Lori Decker won a contested election for recorder. In the 2020 general election, four Republicans were elected to county office. In 2022, Curt Wheeler beat a Democrat and an Independent, to become the county's first Republican presiding commissioner.

In the 2008 general election, notwithstanding the secretary of state's race, for the first time in history, Monroe Countians gave a plurality to every Republican candidate for federal and state offices, on the ballot, that had a Democratic opponent. Four years later, in the 2012 election, Republican candidates won six of eight state-wide state and federal races, and one was lost by five votes out of more than 4,000 cast. In November 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 every Republican for federal and state office, on the county ballot, defeated their Democratic opponent.

In the April 2016 presidential primary, Republicans outvoted Democrats more than 3-to-1, 1,600 votes in the GOP primary compared to 495 in the Democratic, and more Republican votes than Democratic were cast in the 2020 presidential primary. In 2016's August primary, Republicans out voted Democrats 895 to 698; in the 2018 August primary, Republicans out voted Democrats 1,621 votes to 851. In both the 2020 presidential primary and the August primary Republicans outvoted Democrats two-to-one.

{{Missouri county elected officials
| name              =Monroe County, Missouri
| assessor          =Melinda James
| assessorparty     =Republican
| circuitclerk      =Heather D. Wheeler
| circuitclerkparty =Republican
| countyclerk       =Beth Whelan
| countyclerkparty  =Republican
| presiding         =Curt Wheeler
| presidingparty    =Republican
| district1         =Mike Whelan
| district1party    =Democratic
| district2         =Marilyn Morgan O'Bannon
| district2party    =Republican
| collector         =Chrissy Graupman
| collectorparty    =Republican
| coroner           =James K. Reinhard
| coronerparty      =Democratic
| prosecutor        =Nicole Volkert
| prosecutorparty   =Republican
| administrator     =Jessica Chase
| administratorparty=Republican
| recorder          =Lori Decker
| recorderparty     =Republican
| sheriff           =Joe Collston
| sheriffparty      =Republican
| treasurer         =Shelia Jurgesmyer
| treasurerparty    =Democratic
  }}

===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"|'''80.66%''' ''3,475''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|17.75% ''756''
|align="center" |1.79% ''77''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[Missouri gubernatorial election, 2020|2020]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''78.23%''' ''3,472''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|20.28% ''900''
|align="center" |1.49% ''66''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[Missouri gubernatorial election, 2016|2016]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''64.44%''' ''2,659''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|33.13% ''1,367''
|align="center" |2.42% ''100''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[Missouri gubernatorial election, 2012|2012]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|48.55% ''1,948''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''48.68%''' ''1,953''
|align="center" |2.77% ''111''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[Missouri gubernatorial election, 2008|2008]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''56.97%''' ''2,459''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|41.94% ''1,810''
|align="center" |1.09% ''47''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[Missouri gubernatorial election, 2004|2004]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''60.00%''' ''2,576''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|38.90% ''1,670''
|align="center" |1.10% ''47''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[Missouri gubernatorial election, 2000|2000]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|44.08% ''1,801''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''54.19%''' ''2,214''
|align="center" |1.73% ''71''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[Missouri gubernatorial election, 1996|1996]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|27.51% ''1,053''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''70.72%''' ''2,707''
|align="center" |1.78% ''68''
|}

Monroe County is divided into two representative districts in the [[Missouri House of Representatives]], both represented by Republicans.

*District 5 — [http://house.mo.gov/member.aspx?year=2017&district=005 Lindell F. Shumake] (R-[[Hannibal, Missouri|Hannibal]]). Consists of Monroe City and the northern part of the county.
{{Election box begin|title=Missouri House of Representatives — District 5 — Monroe County (2016)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Lindell F. Shumake'''
  |votes      = '''782'''
  |percentage = '''74.33%'''
  |change     = '''+5.35'''
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = O. C. Latta
  |votes      = 270
  |percentage = 25.67%
  |change     = -5.35
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=Missouri House of Representatives — District 5 — Monroe County (2014)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Lindell F. Shumake'''
  |votes      = '''367'''
  |percentage = '''68.98%'''
  |change     = '''+27.93'''
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = C. Leroy Deichman
  |votes      = 165
  |percentage = 31.02%
  |change     = -27.93
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=Missouri House of Representatives — District 5 — Monroe County (2012)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Lindell F. Shumake'''
  |votes      = '''429'''
  |percentage = '''41.05%'''
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Tom Shively
  |votes      = 616
  |percentage = 58.95%
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box end}}

*District 40 – [http://house.mo.gov/member.aspx?year=2017&district=040 Jim Hansen] (R-[[Frankford, Missouri|Frankford]]). Consists of the communities of Florida, Holliday, Madison, Paris, Santa Fe, and Stoutsville.
{{Election box begin|title=Missouri House of Representatives — District 40 — Monroe County (2016)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Jim Hansen'''
  |votes      = '''2,598'''
  |percentage = '''100.00%'''
  |change     = '''+27.01'''
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=Missouri House of Representatives — District 40 — Monroe County (2014)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Jim Hansen'''
  |votes      = '''1,208'''
  |percentage = '''72.99%'''
  |change     = '''+36.82'''
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Lowell Jackson
  |votes      = 447
  |percentage = 27.01%
  |change     = -36.82
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=Missouri House of Representatives — District 40 — Monroe County (2012)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Jim Hansen'''
  |votes      = '''1,080'''
  |percentage = '''36.17%'''
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Paul Quinn
  |votes      = 1,906
  |percentage = 63.83%
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box end}}

Monroe County is a part of Missouri's 10th District in the [[Missouri Senate]] and is currently represented by [http://www.senate.mo.gov/mem10/ Jeanie Riddle] (R-[[Fulton, Missouri|Fulton]]). 
{{Election box begin|title=Missouri Senate — District 10 — Monroe County (2014)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Jeanie Riddle'''
  |votes      = '''1,599'''
  |percentage = '''71.55%'''
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Ed Schieffer
  |votes      = 620
  |percentage = 28.45%
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box end}}

===Federal===
{{Election box begin|title=U.S. Senate — Missouri — Monroe County (2016)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Roy Blunt'''
  |votes      = '''2,584'''
  |percentage = '''62.89%'''
  |change     = '''+15.00'''
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Jason Kander
  |votes      = 1,330
  |percentage = 32.39%
  |change     = -14.77
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Jonathan Dine
  |votes      = 105
  |percentage = 2.55%
  |change     = -2.40
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Green Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Johnathan McFarland
  |votes      = 48
  |percentage = 1.69%
  |change     = +1.69
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Constitution Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Fred Ryman
  |votes      = 42
  |percentage = 1.02%
  |change     = +1.02
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=U.S. Senate — Missouri — Monroe County (2012)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Todd Akin
  |votes      = 1,917
  |percentage = 47.89%
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Claire McCaskill'''
  |votes      = '''1,888'''
  |percentage = '''47.16%'''
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Jonathan Dine
  |votes      = 198
  |percentage = 4.95%
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box end}}
Monroe County is included in [[Missouri's 6th congressional district]] and is currently represented by [[Sam Graves]] (R-[[Tarkio, Missouri|Tarkio]]) in the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]].
{{Election box begin|title=U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 6th Congressional District — Monroe County (2016)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Sam Graves'''
  |votes      = '''2,955'''
  |percentage = '''74.15%'''
  |change     = '''+0.82'''
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = David M. Blackwell
  |votes      = 899
  |percentage = 22.56%
  |change     = -1.81
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Russ Lee Monchil
  |votes      = 94
  |percentage = 2.36%
  |change     = +0.06
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Green Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Mike Diel
  |votes      = 37
  |percentage = 0.93%
  |change     = +0.93
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri’s 6th Congressional District — Monroe County (2014)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Sam Graves'''
  |votes      = '''1,592'''
  |percentage = '''73.33%'''
  |change     = '''+10.41'''
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Bill Hedge
  |votes      = 529
  |percentage = 24.37%
  |change     = -10.38
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Russ Lee Monchil
  |votes      = 50
  |percentage = 2.30%
  |change     = +0.02
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 6th Congressional District — Monroe County (2012)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Sam Graves'''
  |votes      = '''2,410'''
  |percentage = '''62.92%'''
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Kyle Yarber
  |votes      = 1,331
  |percentage = 34.75%
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Russ Lee Monchil
  |votes      = 89
  |percentage = 2.32%
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box end}}

===Political culture===
{{PresHead|place=Monroe 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 25, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|3,476|857|45|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|3,477|936|70|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|3,159|853|144|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|2,564|1,398|95|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|2,533|1,703|78|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|2,632|1,647|28|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|2,175|1,860|59|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|1,333|1,938|560|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|1,153|2,060|974|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|1,542|2,461|11|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|2,163|1,992|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|2,026|2,445|84|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|1,585|3,039|26|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1972|Democratic|2,141|2,299|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|1,349|2,776|516|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|928|4,103|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|1,519|4,011|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|1,331|4,412|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|1,488|4,760|11|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|809|4,769|7|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|1,098|5,000|8|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|1,200|6,018|13|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|939|6,376|25|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|714|6,210|44|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|1,378|4,957|19|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|1,141|5,597|172|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|1,406|6,136|93|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|742|3,738|101|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|583|3,586|301|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1908|Democratic|871|3,772|38|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1904|Democratic|790|3,487|72|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1900|Democratic|795|4,016|66|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|892|4,379|23|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1892|Democratic|787|3,863|100|Missouri}}
{{PresFoot|1888|Democratic|983|3,873|37|Missouri}}During the 19th century and most of the 20th century Democrats controlled Monroe County. The county was one of only two jurisdictions in Missouri to be carried by [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] [[George McGovern]] in the [[1972 United States presidential election|1972 presidential election]] against incumbent [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[President of the United States|President]] [[Richard Nixon]], the other being the city of [[St. Louis]]. Monroe County was first carried by a Republican in 1976 by [[John Danforth]] in the U.S. Senate race. In 1984, [[Ronald Reagan]] became the first Republican candidate for president to win the county. Since 2000, the county has voted Republican in federal and state elections, and now Republicans control two-thirds of elected county positions. The last Democratic candidate to crack 40% of the county's vote was [[Al Gore]] in [[2000 United States presidential election in Missouri|2000]]. [[Barack Obama]] received just under 40% of the vote in [[2008 United States presidential election in Missouri|2008]] and around 34% in [[2012 United States presidential election in Missouri|2012]]. [[Donald Trump]] became the first Republican to carry over 70% of the county's vote, which he did in all three of his runs in [[2016 United States presidential election in Missouri|2016]], [[2020 United States presidential election in Missouri|2020]], and [[2024 United States presidential election in Missouri|2024]].

===Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)===
{{main|2008 Missouri Democratic presidential primary|2008 Missouri Republican presidential primary}}

===Missouri presidential preference primary (2016)===
In the April 2016 presidential primary, Republicans out voted Democrats more than 3-to-1, 1,600 votes in the GOP primary compared to 495 in the Democrat. In 2016's August primary, Republicans outvoted Democrats 895 to 698.