14 candidates are tracked across 11 Newton County races for the 2026 election, led by the Newton County Presiding Commissioner contest. Preview your Newton County, Missouri sample ballot for 2026: browse tracked local races, then enter your ZIP code to confirm which districts and offices appear on your exact ballot.
These race previews show candidates we’re tracking now. A ZIP code shows your statewide and congressional races; a street address adds county and city contests.
Candidate roster last updated Sep 6, 2026 from official election sources. Enter your ZIP code at theballotbrief.com to see your exact 2026 ballot.
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Local Snapshot
Election DayNov. 3, 2026
StateMissouri
Races Listed11
Profiles14
Newton County Sample Ballot 2026: Races We’re Tracking
Local races are address-specific. This guide previews tracked contests, while the lookup tool narrows the list to a voter’s exact address. Tap any name to see the race, full candidate profiles, and everything else on your exact ballot. Missouri nominees were set by the August 4 primary (plurality, no runoffs) and meet on the November 3 ballot; unopposed nominees still print. All 163 state House seats, the even-numbered state Senate districts, partisan circuit judgeships in non-plan circuits and the county offices on the four-year off-presidential cycle (presiding commissioner, clerk, circuit clerk, auditor, recorder, collector, prosecuting attorney) are up; sheriff, assessor, treasurer and the associate commissioners were elected in 2024, per the Secretary of State.
August 4 primary results: Mark Bridges won the Republican nomination with 53.75 percent (5,315 votes) over Richard D. Davidson (25.52 percent, 2,523 votes) and incumbent Daniel Swem (20.73 percent, 2,050 votes). Separately, Martin "Mad Dog" Lindstedt was unopposed for the Libertarian nomination with 100 percent (48 votes); no Democrat filed. Both nominees are on the November 3 ballot, per the Newton County Clerk's official August 4, 2026 primary results, certified August 7, 2026.
Mark Bridges · Republican▾
Mark Bridges has served Newton County in public safety and elected roles since the 1970s, including as a sheriff's deputy before his election as Newton County Sheriff in 1985, and 20 years as Newton County Coroner from 1996 to 2016, per the Joplin Globe. He was elected the county's District 2 Commissioner in 2024 and resigned that seat in February 2026 to return as interim county coroner, per the Neosho Daily News. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 6, 2026.
Martin "Mad Dog" Lindstedt appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Newton County Presiding Commissioner, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 6, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Martin "Mad Dog" Lindstedt.
Special election for the balance of the term after Mark Bridges resigned the District 2 seat in February 2026 to return as interim county coroner, per the Newton County Clerk and local press. Ron Wallace, appointed interim commissioner in February 2026, ran unopposed in the August 4 Republican primary, receiving 100 percent (4,247 votes); no Democrat or Libertarian filed. He is unopposed on the November 3 ballot based on available candidate filings, per the Newton County Clerk's official results.
Ron Wallace · Republican▾
Ron Wallace is the interim Newton County District 2 Commissioner, appointed to the seat in February 2026, per the county's official website. He spent 31 years with the Seneca School District as a teacher, coach, athletic director and administrator, including as a principal, before retiring and later serving as Seneca School Board president, per FourStatesHomepage. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 6, 2026.
August 4 primary result: Shayla Merrell won the Republican nomination with 50.89 percent (4,639 votes) over Sarah Meador (49.11 percent, 4,476 votes); no Democrat or Libertarian filed. Merrell is unopposed on the November 3 ballot based on available candidate filings, per the Newton County Clerk's official results. Sitting Circuit Clerk Patty Krueger did not seek re-election.
Shayla Merrell · Republican▾
Shayla Merrell is a lifelong Neosho resident with more than 22 years of experience serving Newton County, per her campaign site. She currently works as a Senior Court Program Specialist for the 40th Judicial Circuit Court, collaborating with the Circuit Clerk's office on court management systems, courtroom protocol and financial bookkeeping, per the same source.
Priorities: Bringing judicial operations and court-management experience to the Circuit Clerk's office · Guiding residents through court procedures and paperwork with patience and care (per the campaign site)
August 4 primary result: Tami (Renfro) Owens ran unopposed in the Republican primary, receiving 100 percent (8,761 votes); no Democrat or Libertarian filed. She is unopposed on the November 3 ballot based on available candidate filings, per the Newton County Clerk's official results.
Tami (Renfro) Owens · Republican▾
Tami (Renfro) Owens is the incumbent Newton County Clerk, having taken office for her first term on January 2, 2019, per the county's official website. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 6, 2026.
August 4 primary result: Jenny Cullers Childers ran unopposed in the Republican primary, receiving 100 percent (8,604 votes); no Democrat or Libertarian filed. She is unopposed on the November 3 ballot based on available candidate filings, per the Newton County Clerk's official results.
Jenny Cullers Childers · Republican▾
Jenny Cullers Childers is the incumbent Newton County Recorder of Deeds, first elected in 2022, per the county's official website. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 6, 2026.
August 4 primary result: Jessica Crawford ran unopposed in the Republican primary, receiving 100 percent (8,563 votes); no Democrat or Libertarian filed. She is unopposed on the November 3 ballot based on available candidate filings, per the Newton County Clerk's official results.
Jessica Crawford · Republican▾
Jessica Crawford is the incumbent Newton County Collector of Revenue, per the county's official website. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 6, 2026.
August 4 primary result: William Lynch ran unopposed in the Republican primary, receiving 100 percent (8,563 votes); no Democrat or Libertarian filed. He is unopposed on the November 3 ballot based on available candidate filings, per the Newton County Clerk's official results.
William Lynch · Republican▾
William Lynch is the incumbent Newton County Prosecuting Attorney, first elected in 2022, per the county's official website. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 6, 2026.
August 4 primary result: Matt Major ran unopposed in the Republican primary, receiving 100 percent (8,270 votes); no Democrat or Libertarian filed. He is unopposed on the November 3 ballot based on available candidate filings, per the Newton County Clerk's official results.
Matt Major · Republican▾
Matt Major is the incumbent Newton County Auditor, having served since 2023, per the county's official website. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 6, 2026.
Joel Mace (Republican) is the only nominee on the November 3 ballot. Missouri has no runoffs; the August 4 primary winner of each party is the nominee, and unopposed nominees still print. The field is the Missouri Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list (certified August 25, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Joel Mace · Republican▾
Joel Mace is a veteran detective with the Newton County Sheriff's Office with over a decade in law enforcement, per the Missouri Times. He previously served as a patrol officer in Diamond and Granby before joining the Newton County Sheriff's Office in 2013. He is the Republican nominee for Missouri House District 159. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 6, 2026.
Cheryle Perkins (Republican), Angela Thomas (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot. Missouri has no runoffs; the August 4 primary winner of each party is the nominee, and unopposed nominees still print. The field is the Missouri Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list (certified August 25, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Cheryle Perkins · Republican▾
Cheryle Perkins has spent 23 years in the Newton County Assessor's office, including 13 years as a deputy and 10 years as the elected Assessor, per her campaign website and the Joplin Globe. She is the Republican nominee for Missouri House District 160.
Priorities: Ensuring a fair and just tax policy under the Hancock Amendment · Reforming the State Tax Commission's process for hearing taxpayer appeals · Expanding mental health treatment facilities across the state (per the campaign site)
Angela Thomas is the Democratic nominee for Missouri House District 160 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Missouri Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 6, 2026.
Jill Carter (Republican), Imma J Curl (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Jill Carter is the sitting member per the Senate roster. Missouri has no runoffs; the August 4 primary winner of each party is the nominee, and unopposed nominees still print. The field is the Missouri Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list (certified August 25, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Jill Carter · RepublicanIncumbent▾
Jill Carter operates her family's farming enterprise, per her official Missouri Senate biography. She represents District 32, covering Jasper and Newton counties, and chairs the Senate Families, Seniors and Health Committee, per the same source. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 6, 2026.
Imma Curl, of Joplin, entered the Missouri Senate District 32 race in March 2026, per the Missouri Independent. She has campaigned against 2026 ballot measures that would restrict the initiative petition process and eliminate the state income tax. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 6, 2026.
Note: Use address lookup for your exact ballot; local pages preview tracked races.Profiles: Hand-verified profiles are added race by race; always confirm with the official election office linked above.
