Circuit Judge Gael Wood’s strongest support was in the Washington area in the August primary election, but he also had near or above 70 percent of the votes in Union.
Wood, 64, the Division 1 presiding judge, defeated former circuit judge Cynthia Eckelkamp. He won all but five of 52 Franklin County precincts in the August primary election, as well as the absentee vote total.
In Franklin County, Wood received 8,656 votes, or 65.1 percent; and Eckelkamp received 4,639 votes, or 34.9 percent.
The circuit includes Franklin, Gasconade and Osage counties.
Wood received a total of 12,469 votes, or 63.8 percent, to win the election over Eckelkamp who received 7,066 votes, or 36.2 percent.
In the city of Washington, and the Ziegenmeyer precinct, Wood received more that 72 percent of the vote. Ziegenmeyer is just west of the Washington city limits.
Following is the ward breakdowns in Washington:
Ward 1 — Wood received 402 votes, or 73 percent; Eckelkamp received 149 votes, or 27 percent;
Ward 2 — Wood received 567 votes, or 77.7 percent; Eckelkamp received 163 votes, or 22.3 percent;
Ward 3 — Wood received 440 votes, or 77.5 percent; Eckelkamp received 128 votes, or 22.5 percent;
Ward 4 — Wood received 376 votes, or 73.7 percent; Eckelkamp received 134 votes, or 26.3 percent;
Wood also received 65 percent or more of the votes in each of the four Union precincts, and the Union out of town precinct.
Following is the ward breakdowns in the city of Union:
Ward 1 — Wood received 123 votes, or 66.5 percent; Eckelkamp received 62 votes, or 33.5 percent;
Ward 2 — Wood received 260 votes, or 73 percent; Eckelkamp received 96 votes, or 27 percent;
Ward 3 — Wood received 183 votes, or 70.1 percent; Eckelkamp received 78 votes, or 29.9 percent; and
Ward 4 — Wood received 178 votes, or 65.2 percent; Eckelkamp received 95 votes, or 34.8 percent.
Other precincts with a high percentage of votes for Wood were Beaufort/Union-Pea Ridge, 72.3 percent; Clover Bottom, 73 percent; Krakow, 76.3 percent; and South Point, 70.2 percent.
There were five precincts in which Eckelkamp received more votes that Wood.
In Sullivan Ward 2, Eckelkamp received 97 votes, or 55.5 percent, compared to Wood who received 78 votes or 44.6 percent; in St. Albans, Eckelkamp captured 136 votes, or 54 percent, compared to Wood’s 116 votes, or 46 percent; in Gerald Ward 1, Eckelkamp received 44 votes, or 53,7 percent, and Wood received 38 votes, or 46.3 percent.
Eckelkamp received 108 votes, 51.2 percent, in Stanton/Charmwood/Dry Branch precinct, where Wood received 103 percent of the votes, or 48.2 percent; and in Dry Branch, Eckelkamp received 70 votes, or 50.4 percent, edging out Wood in that precinct by one vote.
