JEFFERSON CITY — An obituary of former Jefferson County Sheriff Buck Buerger in today’s paper omitted the name of the young lawyer who beat Buerger in 1986, launching a lengthy political career.

Jay Nixon was the upstart contender for the state Senate when he scored an upset against Buerger and county Presiding Commissioner Ralph Krodinger.

Nixon went on to serve six years in the state Senate and 16 years as attorney general before being elected governor last year.

Asked whether Nixon planned to attend the services for Buerger, the governor’s spokesman, Jack Cardetti, said Nixon “doesn’t think he’ll be able to make it back” to Jefferson County, though he had regaled his staff today with tales of that first race.

Here’s an excerpt from a 1986 story on the contest, by the Post-Dispatch’s Marcia L. Koenig:

THE CONTENDERS for the Democratic nomination for state senator in Jefferson County are two men who have made careers in local politics and one man who is looking toward a future in political office.
All three candidates were born and reared in the county they are vying to represent.

They are running for their party’s nomination for the 22nd District’s seat. Sen. Clifford W. ”Jack” Gannon, D-De Soto, is vacating the seat. The winner in the Democratic primary will face Larry J. Callahan of Imperial in November.

The three Democrats are:

Ralph Krodinger, 58, of De Soto. He has been the county’s presiding commissioner since 1979 and was an associate commissioner for eight years before that.

Jeremiah W. ”Jay” Nixon, 30, of Festus. He is a partner in the law firm of Nixon, Nixon and Breeze in Hillsboro. This is his first political campaign.

Walter ”Buck” Buerger, 60, of Hillsboro. His is in his sixth-consecutive four-year term as sheriff of Jefferson County.

Nixon has charged that Krodinger and Buerger want to retire to the Senate. The two older candidates have countered that Nixon wants to use the state Senate as a steppingstone to the U.S. Congress.

Krodinger’s campaign posters bill him as ”uniquely qualified.” He says that his experience in working with local and state officials, as well as with county residents, distinguishes him from his opponents.

For six years, Krodinger was a member of the board of directors of the Missouri Association of County Governments. He said that had given him insight into the variety of problems facing counties statewide.

”I filed for senator not because I was urged by powerful, influential friends, but because I feel I have acquired an outstanding set of qualifications for the position, ” he said.

Krodinger describes his time in county office as an ”apprenticeship” in administering state laws. He says he has learned during those years what benefits the county and what affects it adversely.

BUERGER’S CAMPAIGN SLOGAN is, ”Elect the man you know.” His time in office has given him name recognition and strong political ties.

He has endorsements from the United Auto Workers, the National Education Association, Missouri Citizens for Life, Carpenters Local 221, the Iron Workers, three councils of Railroad Brotherhoods, the Teamsters Joint Council 13 and the United Transportation Union.

State Sens. John Scott, D-St. Louis, and Edwin L. Dirck, D-St. Ann, have donated $1,500 each to Buerger’s campaign. Sen. JamesL. Mathewson, D-Sedalia, gave $500 to Buerger. The three senators are vying for the job of Senate pro tem during the next session.

Buerger says he knows the problems and the people of Jefferson County.

”I feel that with my experience as sheriff thatI can serve the people of Jefferson County even better as their state senator than I have as sheriff, ” he said.

Despite his name recognition, Buerger says he is taking nothing for granted and is campaigning heavily.

Nixon’s campaign theme is, ”Our fair share.” He has numerous statistics to show that the state has failed to spend equitable amounts for roads and education in Jefferson County, compared with the money spent in other counties of comparable size.

NIXON SAYS he has the energy and the will to fight these inequities.

He says that between 1979 and last year, for example, St. Charles County got 305 percent more state highway money than Jefferson County. His figures show that if Jefferson County’s schools got as much money for each student as St. Charles’ schools did, Jefferson County would have been given $8 million more last year for education.

Nixon has no political record, but he says he has significantly more education in law, government and economics than his opponents, who lack college degrees. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri at Columbia in political science and economics. He earned his law degree from the University of Missouri.

Nixon is running a professional campaign with pollsters and paid staff members.

He has collected $99,212 for his campaign - a staggering amount of money compared with other candidates for office in Jefferson County. But $64,390 of that amount has come from his own pocket.

Nixon has spent more than $89,000, according to figures in the campa ign disclosure report he filed with the Jefferson County clerk’s office.

His largest contributors have been family and friends: Jeremiah Nixon, his father, of Hillsboro, $1,000; Kathryn Nixon of Hillsboro, $1,000; Norville McClain of Hillsboro, $1,000; Amy McClain of St. Louis, $1,000; Penelope Nixon of Columbia, Mo., $1,000; Mindy Nixon Moynihan of Columbia, Mo., $1,000; and Kenneth McClain of Herculaneum, $2,000.