A controversial firing of the director of Jefferson County’s ambulance service apparently cost County Commissioner George Mathews the GOP nomination he sought for re-election.

Lynn Luck, a 53-year-old director of Jefferson County Service Organization, defeated Mathews in the 1st District Republican primary. She received 396 votes, compared to 251 for Mathews and 216 for G.W. (George) Meyer of Oskaloosa.

Both Luck and Mathews, a 67-year-old retired state worker who lives in McLouth, said a 2001 decision by the Jefferson County Commission to fire longtime ambulance director Dan Dailey made the difference in the race.

“Truthfully, I think there were some mistakes George made that cost him the election,” Luck said. “It wasn’t a good decision, I didn’t think, and a lot of people didn’t think.”

Mathews agreed it was a hot topic.

“It was a controversial issue,” he said. “Most of it was personnel, so I can’t talk much about it.”

Meyer is completing his first four-year term in the district, which includes Oskaloosa, McLouth and three townships in southeastern Jefferson County. Luck advances to the November general election, where she’ll face Glen Phillips, a Democrat from Perry.

The position is the only Jefferson County Commission seat up for election this year.

In Franklin County, Donald C. Hay, a 73-year-old retired banker from Ottawa, secured the 4th District County Commission seat. He received 194 votes, compared to 174 for Milton Farris, a 74-year-old farmer from Ottawa, and 142 for Max Attebury, a 47-year-old locksmith from Ottawa.

No Democrats filed in the district, which includes much of southern Ottawa, including Ottawa University, so barring a successful write-in effort, Hay will win a spot on the commission.

In Franklin County’s 5th District, Donald Stottlemire, a 54-year-old rural Rantoul resident and owner of lumber and modular homes businesses, defeated Jerry Harnden, a 61-year-old pastor from Ottawa. Stottlemire received 276 votes to Harnden’s 189.

Stottlemire will advance to the general election to face Chester Leach of Rantoul. The district covers eastern Franklin County, including Rantoul, Wellsville and Lane.

Eighteen percent of voters in Franklin County  3,130 of the 16,871 registered  voted Tuesday. Twenty-four percent of Jefferson County voters  2,853 of 11,723  went to the polls.

In another area race, Ken Norwood defeated D.A. Baranski in the GOP primary for Lecompton Township Clerk, 208 votes to 54 votes.