According to the county's election office, 1,639 of the 8,874 eligible voters participated in a primary election that offered few competitive races.

Marion Countians who did turn out to vote followed most of their peers in statewide races.

In the seven-candidate field to be the Republican candidate for governor, Marion County favored its own State Sen. Jim Barnett by a margin of 61 percent to 27 percent over his closest challenger, Ken Canfield.

Statewide, Barnett won the nomination over Canfield by 36 percent to 26 percent. Robin Jennison, who drew 22 percent of the vote statewide, attracted 8 percent of the ballots in Marion County.

Elsewhere on the GOP ballot, incumbent Ron Thornburgh won nomination for secretary of state by defeating challenger Kay O'Connor, 73 percent to 27 percent statewide. In Marion County, Thornburgh prevailed 79 percent to 21 percent.

In the race for insurance commissioner, incumbent Sandy Praeger defeated Eric Carter 60 percent to 40 percent statewide-which was the identical margin in Marion County, too.

The GOP race for District 7 state school board proved to be the only race where Marion County voters preferred a different choice from voters in the district as a whole.

Marion County gave Donna Viola a 49 percent to 47 percent edge over Ken Willard. But district-wide, Willard prevailed 54 percent to 37 percent.

In the District 9 race for state school board, Jana Shaver defeated Brad Patzer 58 percent to 42 percent district-wide. Marion County Republican voters followed a similar path, 60 percent to 40 percent.

Democrat voters had only one competitive primary race. Statewide, David Haley defeated Robert Beattie in that party's race for secretary of state by a mere 311 votes.

In Marion County, Beattie drew 73 percent of the vote.

GOP candidates moving on in uncontested races were Jerry Moran for the U.S. House of Representatives, Don Dahl for state representative from the 70th district, Lynn Jenkins for state treasurer, and Bob Hein for the District 1 seat on the Marion County Board of Commissioners.

Uncontested Democratic candidates included John Doll for U.S. House of Representatives, Kathleen Sebelius for governor, Paul Morrison for attorney general, Larry Wilson for state treasurer, Bonnie Sharp for commissioner of insurance, Jack Wempe for District 7 state school board, and Charles Runyan for District 9 state school board.