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Toni Morris wins collector race

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Toni (Cook) Morris won the Republican primary race for Laclede County Collector, according to unofficial results from the Laclede County Clerk's Office Tuesday night. She has no opponent in the November general election. Morris defeated Ashley (Bennett) Lewis with 2,923 votes to 2,219 for Lewis. She will replace longtime Collector Steve Pickering who did not seek re-election. As a candidate, Lewis touted her experience in finance, business management, and customer service. Lewis is a coordinator for Financial Peace University, providing educational assistance in personal finance - budgeting, balancing, stock market education, and proper use of funds to thrive and decrease financial debt. Lewis said after graduating from college with a AAS LPTA degree, she ran her own business as an independent contractor in the physical therapy field. She said she personally managed her business bookkeeping, tax records, and contracts. Toni (Cook) Morris was a manager for the Lebanon License Office for more than 10 years. She served as a compliance and fraud investigator with Missouri’s Consumer Protection, Securities Division and the Ethics Commission, as well as a legal assistant in the Laclede County Prosecutor’s Office and Public Defender’s OfficeShe currently works in the accounting and tax profession, daily assisting individuals and small business owners. Morris is a licensed CPA and have taught accounting courses at Ozarks Technical College since 2009.