Buchanan County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
17 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 12 Buchanan County races, led by the Buchanan County Presiding Commissioner contest.
County offices
Presiding CommissionerBill Falkner (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Bill Falkner (Republican) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Buchanan County Presiding Commissioner.
Bill Falkner Republican
- Restoring and strengthening local infrastructure, including roads, bridges and public facilities
- Championing family-owned businesses and farms
- Supporting policies that help working blue-collar families
Per the 680 KFEQ.
About Bill Falkner
Bill Falkner is the Missouri House representative for District 10 and a former mayor of St. Joseph, per 680 KFEQ. He is completing his final term in the Missouri House and is running for the open presiding commissioner seat after incumbent Scott Nelson chose not to seek reelection, per News-Press Now. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Bill Falkner filed unopposed for presiding commissioner and faced no primary or general-election opponent after the March 31, 2026 filing deadline, succeeding retiring incumbent Scott Nelson, per News-Press Now's report on the Buchanan County Clerk's candidate filing list.
Full race pageClerkMary Baack-Garvey (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Mary Baack-Garvey (Republican) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Buchanan County Clerk.
Mary Baack-Garvey Republican Incumbent
Mary Baack-Garvey has served as Buchanan County Clerk since first being elected in 2010 and is seeking a third term, after 10 years as a county employee assisting with elections, per the Buchanan County Clerk's office. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Mary Baack-Garvey filed unopposed for a third term as county clerk and faced no primary or general-election opponent after the March 31, 2026 filing deadline, per News-Press Now's report on the Buchanan County Clerk's candidate filing list.
Full race pageCircuit ClerkAshley Thrasher (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Ashley Thrasher (Republican) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Buchanan County Circuit Clerk.
Ashley Thrasher Republican
Ashley Thrasher, a Missouri Western State University marketing graduate, worked in marketing, management and human-resources roles at Hallmark Cards, Boehringer Ingelheim and Mosaic Life Care before her 2018 election as circuit clerk, where she now oversees a staff of 28, per News-Press Now. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Ashley Thrasher filed unopposed for reelection as circuit clerk and faced no primary or general-election opponent after the March 31, 2026 filing deadline, per News-Press Now's report on the Buchanan County Clerk's candidate filing list.
Full race pageAuditorTara Horn (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Tara Horn (Republican) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Buchanan County Auditor.
Tara Horn Republican Incumbent
Tara Horn started in real estate as an escrow officer in 2001 and became a licensed real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Stein and Summers Real Estate in 2011; she and her husband also own Norty's Bar and Grill, per the Buchanan County Auditor's office. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Tara Horn filed unopposed for reelection as auditor and faced no primary or general-election opponent after the March 31, 2026 filing deadline, per News-Press Now's report on the Buchanan County Clerk's candidate filing list.
Full race pageCollectorPeggy Campbell (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Peggy Campbell (Democratic) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Buchanan County Collector.
Peggy Campbell Democratic Incumbent
Peggy Campbell has served as Buchanan County Collector since winning election in 2010 and was reelected in 2018, per KQ2. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Peggy Campbell filed unopposed for reelection as collector and faced no primary or general-election opponent after the March 31, 2026 filing deadline, per News-Press Now's report on the Buchanan County Clerk's candidate filing list.
Full race pageProsecuting AttorneyMichelle Davidson (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Michelle Davidson (Republican) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Buchanan County Prosecuting Attorney.
Michelle Davidson Republican Incumbent
Michelle Davidson holds a law degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and has practiced criminal law in Buchanan County for more than 20 years, joining the county Public Defender's Office in 2001, leading it from 2005-2008, then working at the Fourth Circuit Public Defender's Office before joining the Prosecuting Attorney's Office in 2018, per the Buchanan County Prosecuting Attorney's office. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Michelle Davidson filed unopposed for reelection as prosecuting attorney and faced no primary or general-election opponent after the March 31, 2026 filing deadline, per News-Press Now's report on the Buchanan County Clerk's candidate filing list.
Full race pageRecorder of DeedsBecky Dunlap (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Becky Dunlap (Republican) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Buchanan County Recorder of Deeds.
Becky Dunlap Republican Incumbent
Becky Dunlap has worked in the Buchanan County License Bureau since 1984 and has served as Recorder of Deeds since 2018, per the Buchanan County Recorder of Deeds' office. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Becky Dunlap filed unopposed for reelection as recorder of deeds and faced no primary or general-election opponent after the March 31, 2026 filing deadline, per News-Press Now's report on the Buchanan County Clerk's candidate filing list.
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Buchanan County is split across 5 Missouri House and Senate districts.
Find your districts by addressMissouri House: 3 districtsDistricts 10, 11, 13
Missouri House District 10Paul Gatewood (R) · LaTonya T. Williams (D)
Paul Gatewood Republican
- Keeping St. Joseph affordable
- Increasing economic opportunities for blue-collar families
Per the candidate statement via KQ2.
About Paul Gatewood
Paul Gatewood is a Marine Corps veteran who served 26 years as an evidence manager for the St. Joseph Police Department, per KQ2. He is the father of eight and grandfather of nine. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
LaTonya T. Williams Democratic
- Strengthening public education
- Improving affordable childcare access
- Expanding healthcare access
Per the candidate statement via KQ2.
About LaTonya T. Williams
LaTonya Williams serves on the St. Joseph School District Board of Education and is executive director of the Bartlett Center in St. Joseph, per KQ2. She is pursuing a doctorate in management with an emphasis on organizational leadership. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Paul Gatewood (Republican), LaTonya T. Williams (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.
Full race pageMissouri House District 11Taylor Crouse (R) · Luke Rae (D)
Taylor Crouse Republican
- Conservative values in state government
Per the campaign site.
About Taylor Crouse
Taylor Crouse is a lifelong northwest Missouri native and small business owner from St. Joseph with experience in insurance and real estate, per the campaign site. He serves on the Buchanan County Republican Central Committee and the Missouri Western State University Board of Governors, and previously served on the St. Joseph City Council, per the campaign site.
Luke Rae Democratic
- Protecting and improving public schools
- Addressing the cost-of-living crisis for middle- and lower-income families
- Government accountability and transparency in campaign funding
Per the campaign site.
About Luke Rae
Rae is a pharmacist who manages a nuclear pharmacy, holds a doctorate of pharmacy from UMKC and an MBA, and has taught at UMKC and KU, per the campaign site. His family has farmed in the district for more than 100 years, and he has never held elected office before, per the campaign site.
Taylor Crouse (Republican), Luke Rae (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.
Full race pageMissouri House District 13John Elliott (R) · Jacoby Wynkoop (D)
John Elliott Republican
- Supporting law enforcement
- Preventing foreign ownership of Missouri farmland
- Eliminating the state income tax
Per the campaign site.
About John Elliott
John Elliott, a small business owner who grew up on a north Missouri farm, is a former Platte County Commissioner who focused on infrastructure, public safety and fiscal responsibility, per The Missouri Times. He also serves as vice chair of the Stanley M. Herzog Foundation board. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Jacoby Wynkoop Democratic
- Stronger labor protections and access to healthcare
- Well-funded public schools
Per the campaign site.
About Jacoby Wynkoop
Jacoby Wynkoop, of Rushville, works as a cook and makes plush toys, per his campaign site. He decided to run for the District 13 seat after seeing the Republican incumbent was unopposed on the ballot.
John Elliott (Republican), Jacoby Wynkoop (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.
Full race pageMissouri Senate: 2 districtsDistricts 12, 34
Missouri Senate District 12Rusty Black (R) · Judy McNeece (D)
Rusty Black Republican Incumbent
Rusty Black worked as an agriculture educator for 33 years before retiring in 2016, per his official Missouri Senate biography. He represents District 12 in northwest Missouri and previously served in the Missouri House before his 2022 election to the Senate, per the same source. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Judy McNeece Democratic
- Increasing public school funding
- Addressing rural hospital closures and maternity care access
- Lowering the cost of living
Per the campaign site.
About Judy McNeece
Judy McNeece is a former educator who describes herself as a grandmother living on a fixed income, per her campaign site. She has traveled throughout Senate District 12 listening to constituent concerns.
Rusty Black (Republican), Judy McNeece (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Rusty Black 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.
Full race pageMissouri Senate District 34Mike Jones (R) · Shereka Barnes (D)
Mike Jones Republican
Mike Jones currently represents Missouri House District 12, having been elected in November 2024, per his official House member page. He is a Kansas City native who served in the U.S. Air Force from 1997 to 2001 performing maintenance on AC-130 Gunships, and owns Elite Painting KC, a residential painting business. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Shereka Barnes Democratic
- Investing in public education
- Expanding access to healthcare coverage
- Addressing the rising cost of living
Per the campaign site.
About Shereka Barnes
Barnes has worked in nonprofit health care and education, serves on the Park Hill School District Board and previously served on the board of Kids Win Missouri, per the campaign site. Born and raised in Kansas City, she holds two bachelor's degrees in public relations and human relations from Missouri Western State University, per the campaign site.
Mike Jones (Republican), Shereka Barnes (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.
Full race pageSee your full ballot
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
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.
Who is on the ballot in Buchanan County, Missouri on November 3, 2026?
Buchanan County sample ballot 2026: see where the presiding commissioner, county clerk and circuit clerk candidates stand on schools and health care. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in Missouri?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Missouri are listed on the Missouri election hub. Missouri election hub →
How do I see my exact Buchanan County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
Sample ballot by ZIP code in Buchanan County10 ZIP codes
Candidate roster last updated Sep 25, 2026 from official election sources.