New Republican candidate enters Missouri House race in Boone County

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The local Republican Party picked a new candidate in a Boone County state House race just in time to get him on the November ballot.

John Lane was selected Tuesday as the party nominee for the 50th House District after Joshua Blakemore pulled his name from the ballot, Lane told ABC 17 News on Thursday.

Lane, a small business owner from Columbia, will take on Democrat Gregg Bush, a registered nurse, in the Nov. 5 election. Current district Rep. Doug Mann picked Bush to be his successor and Bush defeated Jeff Basinger in the Democratic primary last month.

Lane says in a news release that he has direct experience with the legislature from being president of a lobbying group, the Missouri Restaurant Association. He is also vice chair of the county Republican committee.

"I am running to represent the citizens of Columbia to do my part to help improve the lives of our neighbors," Lane said in the release.

The 50th District includes much of southern Columbia and the area immediately outside it.