State Sen. Jill Carter has won the Republican primary for Missouri's 32nd Senate District on Tuesday, defeating challenger Dr. Ellen Nichols in a race that drew attention across southwest Missouri. Jill Carter (R): 18,289 votes ( 69.73% )Ellen Nichols (R): 7,940 votes (30.27%)Carter, of Granby, secured a second term as the Republican nominee after campaigning on her legislative record and support for top conservative priorities. Nichols, a Joplin neurosurgeon, entered the race emphasizing her decades of experience in medicine and leadership, arguing her background would bring a practical, problem-solving approach to the Missouri Senate. The contest carried added political significance because Nichols is the wife of former state Sen. Bill White, whom Carter unseated in the 2022 Republican primary. Carter advanced to the Nov. 3 general election, where she is expected to face Democratic nominee Imma J. Curl.