Richard Crouch Wins Close Race Over Sandi Winton In Republican Primary For County Supervisor Seat

Five-term incumbent Mills County Supervisor Richard Crouch held off challenger Sandi Winton, 796-739, in last Tuesday’s Republican Party primary election.

Crouch will be the Republican Party candidate for the lone seat on the board of supervisors up for election in the Nov. 8 general election.

“It was probably one of the hardest races I’ve been in,” Crouch said on Election Night after the outcome had been determined. “I really expected it to be close.”

Crouch said he believes his two decades of experience on the board and his ties to the county’s agricultural community were the decisive factors in the outcome of the election.

“I had a lot of support in the rural areas because I take care of the eastern side of the county,” Crouch said.

Other factors Crouch credited to his victory are the lack of any “major issues” of controversy going on within the county and the board of supervisors’ handling of issues related to the 2019 Missouri River flood event. He specifically noted the swift manor in which the buy-out process of properties decimated by the flooding was carried out by the county.

“It (buy-out process) took two years but it could have taken four,” he said.

Winton said she was uncertain of how the vote would go but agreed with Crouch that the ag vote was a key factor in the outcome.

“I didn’t know if it would be close or a landslide for one of the two of us,” she said. “I worked as hard as I could and that’s what you have to do and hope for the best outcome.

“I definitely think he had the eastern part of the county – the farmers. It seems like they came out in support of Richard.”

Crouch defeated Winton in 6-of-11 precincts across the county. His most decisive showing came in the Silver City/Ingraham precinct where he garnered 72 percent of the vote.  He received 65 percent of the vote in the Henderson/Anderson precinct and 62 percent in the Malvern/Tabor/Silver Creek/Center/Rawles precinct.

Winton made her strongest showing in the Glenwood area, winning all three precincts within the city limits and Glenwood Township. Her largest percentages came in Glenwood Ward 2 (59%), Glenwood Township (57%) and Glenwood Ward 3 (57%).

Both Crouch and Winton were at the Mills County Courthouse on Election Night as the precinct-by-precinct vote totals were posted. Winton congratulated Crouch after the outcome became evident.

“I like Richard and wish him the best,” Winton said.

Winton, the chair of the Mills County Republican Central Committee, said despite the setback she’ll continue to be involved in politics and other community causes and organizations.

“I will continue to work for the good of the community in whatever capacity that I can,” she said.

Winton ruled out opposing Crouch in the November general election as a “candidate by petition.”

“Absolutely not. I will not do that,” she said.

The supervisor seat was the only contested county race on the primary ballot. County Recorder LuAnne Christiansen, County Treasurer Jill Ford and County Attorney Naeda Elliott all ran unopposed on the Republican ballot. There were no Democratic candidates seeking county offices.

County-wide, 1,851 ballots were cast in the primary election, representing 16 percent of registered voters.