By JOAN BARRON - Star-Tribune capital bureau | Posted: Wednesday, August 18, 2010 12:45 am

CHEYENNE -- Chris Rothfuss credited his volunteers and organized staff after winning the Senate District 9 Democratic nomination Tuesday night.

The University of Wyoming instructor and chemical engineer won the primary election over Laramie Mayor and business owner Jodi Guerin.

With all 10 precincts reporting, Rothfuss carried 784 votes to Guerin's 510.

The seat is being vacated by Democrat Mike Massie, who is a candidate for state superintendent of public instruction.

No Republican filed for SD 9, which includes Albany County and most of Laramie.

Rothfuss said late Tuesday evening that his campaign workers canvassed all 2,000 voters in the district and talked to half of them.

"I had a lot of support from the election two years ago," Rothfuss said, referring to his loss to incumbent U.S. Senator Mike Enzi.

Republican incumbent Curt Meier of LaGrange won re-election to Senate District 3 over his challenger, Cheri Steinmetz, according to unofficial returns.

With 23 precincts in, Meier polled 2,422 votes to 1,570 for Steinmetz.

No Democrat filed for the district, which covers the southern two-thirds of Goshen County and nearly all of eastern Platte County.

Another Republican incumbent, Pete Illoway, won the House District 42 primary over challenger Theodore "Jim" Blackburn.

With all precincts in, Illoway had 507 votes to 399 for Blackburn. The district includes northwest Cheyenne and an area extending to the Albany County line. No Democrat filed for HD 42.

Still another Republican incumbent, Bryan Pedersen, a Cheyenne financial consultant, survived a challenge from political newcomer Lynn Hutchings, a retired Air National Guard member.

With all precincts in, Pedersen received 1,059 votes to Hutchings' 962.

House District 7 covers northwest and north-central Cheyenne.

No Democrat filed for the seat.

John Eklund won the Republican nomination for House District 10, polling 1,177 votes to 539 for opponent Donn Edmonds, according to unofficial returns.

The district, which covers eastern Laramie County and a section of Cheyenne, has been represented for years by Rep. Rodney "Pete" Anderson of Pine Bluffs.

Eklund, who runs a farm and ranch operation north of Cheyenne, will face Democrat Gary Roadifer in the general election. Roadifer, from Pine Bluffs, ran unopposed in Tuesday's primary.

In House District 8, Democrat Ken McCauley, a United Airlines pilot, outpolled Bernard Phelan, a lawyer and former legislator.

With all seven precincts reporting, McCauley received 231 votes to Phelan's 124.

The district covers northwest Cheyenne.

McCauley will face Republican Bob Nicholas in the general election.

In the three-way race for Senate District 11 in Carbon County, Larry Hicks, a natural resource coordinator for the Little Snake River Conservation District, outpolled two other contestants with all precincts reporting.

Hick received 926 votes to 788 for Blake Waldrop, a Rawlins police officer, and 664 for Sue Hewitt, a real estate broker, according to unofficial returns.

Hicks will face Democrat Sen. Jim Elliott of Saratoga in the general election.

Elliot had no primary election opponent.

In House District 15, which covers the city of Rawlins, Donald Burkhart, a safety engineer, won the Republican nomination over Michael Rose, a retired police officer, by only 60 votes, according to unofficial returns.

With all seven precincts in, Burkhart had 497 votes to Rose's 437.

Burkhart will face Democratic incumbent George Bagby in the general election. Bagby had no primary election opposition.

For complete results from Tuesday's primary election, go to www.trib.com/election.

Contact capital bureau reporter Joan Barron at (307) 632-1244 or joan.barron@trib.com