As the filing period for the primary election comes down to its final two weeks, there are now two contested races for the Aug. 4 election.

Ryan Poston and Harry Cope are the candidates for the Republican seat of presiding commissioner. Lacy Fischer and Morgan DeTienne are running against each other for circuit clerk.

The last day of the filing period of the Aug. 4 election is March 31. Anyone who is running for county office must file at the Montgomery County Courthouse.

There are now 11 county residents who have filed for the primary election. Cope filed for presiding commissioner on March 17. Poston, Fischer, DeTienne, Paul Boyd (prosecuting attorney), Nathan Carroz (associate circuit judge), Mike Deering (Missouri State Senate), Sheila See (recorder), Lori Stiers (treasurer) and Carole Weeks (county clerk) filed on Feb. 24, which was the first day any candidate can file for the primary election. Jacqueline Spinks filed for collector on March 5.

Cope lives in Truxton and works as a farmer.

Poston, a 1995 MCHS graduate, has been the county’s presiding commissioner since 2010. That year, he defeated Charlie Korman in the primary election and Gene Whyte in the general election.

Fischer, who graduated from MCHS in 2000, has worked as an office manager/clerk at the Montgomery County Courthouse for 19 years. DeTienne, a 2013 MCHS graduate, works at the circuit clerk’s office.

Deering filed to run for the Republican seat of the Missouri State Senate in the 10th Senate District, representing communities across Callaway, Montgomery, Pike, Lincoln and portions of St. Charles counties. Deering is the executive vice president of the Missouri Cattleman's Association and co-owns Nature's Plow in Montgomery City with wife Julie.

Boyd has been the county’s prosecuting attorney since Oct. 7. He was appointed by Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe to replace Keith Freie as prosecuting attorney. Boyd served as the violent crimes team leader for the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office and previously served as a counterdrug coordinator and military judge for the National Guard before retiring after more than 20 years of service.

Carroz, a Wellsville native, has been the county’s associate circuit judge since March 2021. After serving as prosecuting attorney for nine years, Carroz replaced Kelly Broniec – who is now a Missouri Supreme Court judge – for the associate circuit judge position.

Weeks has been county clerk since 2024. She started working in the county clerk’s office as a part-time worker in 2020. She was promoted full time in January 2021. 

See is seeking her seventh term as recorder. She has served in that post since 2002, when the Circuit Clerk’s office was split off from the Circuit Clerk and Recorder of Deeds. She grew up in the Bellflower area.

Stiers, who lives in Rhineland, has been treasurer since 2019. 

Spinks, who is from the New Florence area, works part-time at the collector’s office.

Boyd, Carroz, See, Stiers and Weeks are incumbents and running uncontested.