93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
An attempt by a former Columbia Democratic state lawmaker to keep Columbia Republican James Coyne off the August primary ballot has failed a second time.
939 the Eagle’s Mike Murphy reports Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem has dismissed the case again this week, saying former State Rep. Stephen Webber (D-Columbia) had no standing in a GOP primary. Webber says Coyne is ineligible to run because the Boone County GOP nominating committee missed a deadline to register his name with the Missouri Secretary of State’s office. Mr. Coyne is the GOP nominee to replace former State Representative Chuck Basye on the August ballot. Mr. Basye withdrew for health reasons.
Former Representative Webber and Coyne will face each other in November, and the winning replaces term-limited Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden (R-Columbia). The district is now a Boone County-only district, and the former Representative Webber’s campaign is well-funded. He served in the Missouri House from 2009-2016.
