November election: Voters to select members of Congress, state legislators
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Voters in three congressional districts that touch Mid-Missouri will decide on their next member of Congress on Nov. 3.
Officeholders in several of the area's legislative districts were selected in August because of lack of opposition. However, voters in eight of Mid-Missouri's legislative districts will see a choice on their November ballots.
Fourth Congressional District
A large portion of Mid-Missouri, including Boone County, falls in the Fourth Congressional District, which also reaches to the state's western border. The district is made up of 24 counties.
Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler easily fended off a challenge from within her own party in the August primary and now faces a Democrat and a Libertarian in November.
Hartzler has represented the district for nearly 10 years, first taking office in January 2010. The former school teacher spent six years as a state representative and helped lead the push to outlaw gay marriage in Missouri in 2004.
She has enjoyed easy victories in each of her subsequent congressional elections, including primaries, and has reliably voted with House conservatives.
Hartzler has raised nearly $1.3 million in defense of her seat.
The congresswoman's biggest challenge will come from Lindsey Simmons, who grew up in Marshall before attending Harvard Law School then eventually moving back to Mid-Missouri.
Simmons is the mother of a 2-year-old son and is married to a U.S. Army Apache helicopter pilot. Simmons' campaign has largely focused on the values that drive her -- her website lists those values as family, fairness and freedom.
Simmons supports expanded health insurance coverage and policies that boost economic equity and polling access. Her campaign is not accepting money from corporate political action committees.
Steven Koonse of Leeton is seeking the seat as a Libertarian. He grew up on a farm near Pilot Grove and is a military veterans with a professional background in accounting.
LINKS
Vicky Hartzler campaign website
Lindsey Simmons campaign website
Hartzler July 17 48-hour contribution report
Hartzler July quarterly report
Hartzler April quarterly report
Simmons April quarterly report
Third Congressional District
The Third Congressional District includes a major portion of Mid-Missouri, with Jefferson City and much of the Lake of the Ozarks area situated in its boundaries.
The district is represented by Blaine Luetkemeyer, who lives in St. Elizabeth. Luetkemeyer spent six years in the Missouri House before he was elected to the Third District in 2008.
Luetkemeyer fended off a challenge from four of his fellow Republicans but won his party's nomination with nearly 75% of the vote. Luetkemeyer will face Democrat Megan Rezabek and frequent Missouri third-party candidate Leonard Steinman in the Nov. 3 general election.
Rezabek was born and grew up in Jefferson City, the largest metropolitan area in the district. She has two children. Rezabek's platform includes better funding for struggling schools, increasing the availability of low-income housing, overturning the controversial Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case, expanded health care access and expanding renewable energy.
LINKS
Luetkemeyer pre-primary finance report
Luetkemeyer July 18 48-hour finance report
Luetkemeyer July 20 48-hour finance report
Luetkemeyer July quarterly report
Amended Luetkemeyer April quarterly report
Sixth Congressional District
The Sixth Congressional District covers a wide swath of land across northern Missouri, stretching from St. Joseph in the west to Hannibal in the east.
The district takes in all or part of 36 counties.
Republican Sam Graves held seats in the Missouri House and Senate before winning his first term in Congress in 2000. He beat off a challenger from his own party in the primary this year, taking nearly 80% of the vote.
Graves will face Democrat Gena Ross -- who emerged from a five-way race in the primary -- and Libertarian Jim Higgins in November.
Ross is a native of Minneapolis who moved to Missouri 12 years ago and lives in Platte City. Her platform includes expanded health care access, increasing the federal minimum wage, expanding high-speed internet and cellphone access and fighting climate change.
LINKS
Graves pre-primary finance report
Missouri House and Senate districts
19TH SENATE DISTRICT
LINK: Missouri Senate district map
Republican Caleb Rowden is hoping to hold on to his seat in the 19th Senate District, a politically split area covering Boone and Cooper counties.
Rowden, who was elected to the Missouri House in 2012 and again in 2014, took the 19th Senate District seat in a race against fellow former House member Stephen Webber in 2016.
Rowden is the majority floor leader in the Senate and has campaigned on his ability to work with political opponents and support for the University of Missouri.
Rowden is trying to fight off a challenge by a Democrat experienced in politics -- Judy Baker.
Like Rowden, Baker served four years in the state House -- she was a member from 2005 to 2009. From 2009 to 2012 she was the Obama administration's regional director for the Department of Health and Human Services during the implementation of Obamacare.
Baker lost a bid for state treasurer to Republican Eric Schmitt in 2016.
Rowden finance reports: Amended January quarterly, April quarterly, July quarterly, eight-day before primary, 30-day after primary
Baker finance reports: January quarterly, April quarterly, July quarterly, eight-day before primary, 30-day after primary
Campaign websites: Caleb Rowden, Judy Baker
SIXTH HOUSE DISTRICT
LINK: Missouri House district map
The Sixth House District covers parts of Randolph and Linn counties in addition to all of Macon County.
Republican Rep. Tim Remole is term-limited out, which has drawn to newcomers to state politics into the race.
Ed Lewis of Moberly is a former teacher running as a Republican. His platform includes opposition to abortion and gun restrictions.
Lewis' opponent is Terrence Fiala, a Democrat from Marceline. Fiala entered the race after Lewis, in March.
Fiala boasts political experience on the local level and statewide campaign experience. He was a city councilman in Marceline, ran for county commission and helped with former attorney general Chris Koster's 2016 campaign for governor.
Lewis finance reports: January quarterly, April quarterly, July quarterly, eight-day before primary, 30-day before primary
Fiala finance reports: Amended April quarterly, July quarterly, eight-day before primary, 30-day after primary
Campaign website: Ed Lewis, Terrence Fiala
44TH HOUSE DISTRICT
The 44th District covers much of northern Boone County and the southeast corner of Randolph County.
The district is represented in the Missouri House by Cheri Toalson Reisch, a Republican from Hallsville. Reisch has won two elections in the district starting in 2016. As a multi-term member of the majority party, Reisch sits on several House committees, including the judiciary panel.
Reisch has been a reliable vote for the GOP on major issues. She was opposed to Medicaid expansion and supports Amendment 3.
Democrat Jacque Sample is challenging Reisch. Sample lives in Columbia and is an occupational therapist who teaches at Central Methodist University. Her platform includes expanding health care access and opposition to Amendment 3.
Reisch finance reports: January quarterly, April quarterly, July quarterly, eight-day before primary, 30-day after primary
Sample finance reports: Amended January quarterly, April quarterly, July quarterly, eight-day before primary, 30-day after primary
Campaign websites: Cheri Toalson Reisch, Jacque Sample
47TH HOUSE DISTRICT
The 47th House District covers parts of Boone, Cooper, Howard and Randolph counties, including parts of Columbia.
The district is represented by Republican Chuck Basye of Rocheport who is running for his final House term. As a senior House member of the majority party, Basye serves on several committees and is the chair of the Elementary and Secondary Education Committee.
Basye is opposed by Adrian Plank, a union carpenter who also ran against Basye in 2018. Plank lives in Columbia. His campaign largely centers on economic issues such as fighting policies he sees as anti-union. He also opposes the use of dark money in politics.
Basye finance reports: January quarterly, April quarterly, July quarterly, amended eight-day before primary, 30-day after primary
Plank finance reports: Amended January quarterly, April quarterly, July quarterly, eight-day before primary, 30-day after primary
Campaign websites: Chuck Basye, Adrian Plank
48TH HOUSE DISTRICT
The 48th House District covers most of Howard and Cooper counties and parts of Saline and Pettis counties.
Current State Rep. Dave Muntzel, R-Boonville, is term-limited out, creating a two-way race for the open seat.
Republican Tim Taylor emerged from his party's primary as the nominee. Taylor is a military veteran and former firefighter who lives in Bunceton. He now owns a bakery and raises cattle.
Taylor is opposed by Bill Betteridge, a former teacher, coach and athletic director from rural Cooper County who was the lone Democrat to seek the seat. His campaign platform includes expanding rural broadband access and health care coverage.
Taylor finance reports: April quarterly, July quarterly, eight-day before primary, 30-day after primary
Betteridge finance reports: July quarterly, eight-day before election, 30-day after election
Campaign websites: Bill Betteridge
50TH HOUSE DISTRICT
The 50th District includes parts of four Mid-Missouri counties, taking in most of southern Boone County and parts of Cooper, Moniteau and Cole counties.
The district is represented by Sara Walsh, a Republican from Ashland who is married to U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler's press secretary, Steve Walsh. Sara Walsh was elected in a 2017 special election. She won reelection in 2018.
Walsh has been a reliable vote on key issues for the GOP and holds several committee positions, including a seat on the House Budget Committee.
Walsh's opponent is a political newcomer -- Democrat Kari Chesney, a veterinarian and PhD candidate. Her platform includes support for environmentally friendly farming practices, more education funding and support for unions.
Walsh finance reports: January quarterly, April quarterly, July quarterly, eight-day before primary, 30-day after primary
Chesney finance reports: January quarterly, April quarterly, July quarterly, eight-day before primary, 30-day after primary
Campaign websites: Sara Walsh, Kari Chesney
60TH HOUSE DISTRICT
Missouri's 60th District covers Jefferson City and the surrounding area of Cole County.
Republican incumbent Dave Griffith was first elected in 2018 and is seeking his second term representing the district. Griffith is the chair of his chamber's Veterans Committee and sits on transportation and public safety committees.
Griffith was also a director for the American Red Cross and a member of the Jefferson City Council.
Griffith is opposed by Joshua Dunne, the lone Democrat to seek the seat. Dunne, who moved to Jefferson City in 2016, is a Democratic committeeman for Ward 3 and chairman of the county's Democratic Central Committee.
His platform includes expanding access to health care, protecting voting rights and increasing pay for state workers.
Griffith finance reports: Amended January quarterly, April quarterly, July quarterly, eight-day before primary, 30-day before primary
Dunne finance reports: July quarterly, 30-day after primary
Campaign websites: Dave Griffith, Joshua Dunne
