Six Republican hopefuls seek GOP nomination for Missouri Senate District 6
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Voters on Tuesday will decide which candidate gets the GOP nomination for Missouri’s Sixth Senate District.
Republican Mike Bernskoetter has represented Camden, Cole, Miller, Moniteau and Morgan counties in the Missouri State Capitol Building since 2019. He is leaving the seat open in January due to term limits. Six Republican hopefuls are vying to fill the seat.
The candidates are Macks Creek restaurant owner Amber Buckles, Presiding Camden County Commissioner Todd “Ike” Skelton, former Jefferson City Councilman Derrick Spicer, former Rep. Lisa Thomas, Rep. Rudy Veit and Jefferson City businessman Jake Vogel.
In mid-July, ABC 17 News asked each candidate why they believe they are the best fit for the Senator seat.
Jake Vogel wants to bring his business lens to the position.
“Just my background, I believe,” Vogel said. “I consider myself a community servant, being engaged in the community, giving back through our [Coca-Cola] products, and everything we can do to help out the schools, whether it be scoreboards. And again, I sell Coca-Cola for a living, so it's an open, happy refreshment. So that's how we survive in the community with the relationships that we are proud that we have built. And then my military skill set. People trusted their life with me, and that was my job. So I parlayed that, and taking care of the guys here [at Coca-Cola], I have worked with all types of guys from every walk of life here in business and in the military. I served with people from all different types of backgrounds all over the country, so I have a knack for building relationships and taking care of people.”
Rudy Veit believes his eight years of experience in the House of Representatives sets him apart. He also already serves parts of Cole and Miller counties in the 59th District.
“I have a very broad background,” Veit said. “I’ve been involved in community activities my whole life. And I can read the bills and understand the bills. I have eight years of experience. I just didn't say, ‘Okay, I want be a senator.’ No, I took the route of going with the House of Representatives so I could learn the ropes in that … And I am also one of the few people that will stand up to establish money when I think something is fundamentally wrong. And that's why I voted no on Amendment 5. I was one of three Republicans who voted. And I had to protect the constitutional rights of individuals to prevent us from having unlimited taxes on services, sales tax and everything. And also the spending of the Hancock Amendment, all on the promise of, ‘Trust me,’ and not any clear definition of what we're going to do.”
Lisa Thomas believes her experience serving from 2021-25 in the House of Representatives and her background in health will help get important issues addressed.
“I’m the only physician, so I understand healthcare, health, mental health and social services,” Thomas said. “That constitutes an enormous part of our annual state budget. I've had boots-on-the-ground experience, so I don't just say, ‘We need to lower healthcare costs.’ That's a big duh. What I can do is tell you, ‘We can do this, this and this today,’ and we can absolutely impact our costs. We need to negotiate a reasonable tort reform that's going to lower individual and government healthcare costs tomorrow. We have a group of providers, the only ones by statute; we can tell them where to practice, and guess where that is? Rural and underserved communities. Bingo. That's what we need to do. We need to be the welcoming state for that group of practitioners. Bring them in. Get them to work. We need to make sure that we have pricing transparency on drugs so that we can have the lowest cost. We need PBMs [pharmacy benefit managers] to be clear about what they're doing. We need to protect the doctor-patient relationship. Government shouldn't be interfering. You and your doctor should make decisions about your own healthcare and not be told you have to do this or that.”
Derrick Spicer said because he’s running on the basis of not being a “career politician,” he thinks he’s the best choice.
“I’m the best candidate for this seat because I'm actually for the constituents of District 6, because I'm one of them,” Spicer said. “And I want people to understand that everywhere in the district is just as important to me as the people in Jefferson City. I'm not a part of the establishment. I’m me. And I’ve been a fighter my whole life. And I want to continue to fight for the district. I just think that it's a situation where I have an opportunity to serve the people. I don't have to do this. I said I'm doing this because they're going to get one chance … to make a change. And I'm the change. If they want the same old crap, I'm not your guy. So if they want somebody that's going to be actually for them, then I will get elected.”
Todd “Ike” Skelton said he has true passions for serving people that’s apparent in all he does.
“I’ve been a servant most of my life,” Skelton said. “I’ve been in some sort of service through the military, through working, and through child support enforcement, family services. I was a corrections officer for a while. And then even when I was a locksmith, my last non-government profession, as it were, I still served people and helped take care of people, get them out of jams that they were in … And so I have a passion for serving people, and I am very passionate about our Constitution. I'm very passionate about small government, and I already have that in my heart. I'm not going to be a ‘yes’ person for any other politician. I'm not going to be a ‘yes’ person to leadership. I am not getting the big money from lobbyists that I'm then going to be beholden to. I'm not getting big money from corporations that I could maybe be beholden to. I'll be beholden to the people. I'll be beholden to the Constitution. And I truly do, I've had a lot of different experiences in life, which I believe give me that unique opportunity to understand where an awful lot of people are coming from.”
Amber Buckles said in a statement to ABC 17 News that her experience as an everyday, hardworking Missourian sets her apart.
“What sets me apart is simple,” Buckles wrote. “I bring real-world experience, not political experience. As a small business owner, I understand what it means to balance a budget, make difficult decisions, solve problems, and serve people every day. I know what it feels like to work hard, pay taxes, and wonder where those tax dollars are going. I don’t believe government exists to control people’s lives. I believe it exists to serve the people, protect their constitutional rights—including the right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment—spend their tax dollars responsibly, and stay accountable to the citizens—not special interests. If elected, I will be accessible, transparent, and willing to listen. I may not have every answer on day one, but I will always ask questions, seek facts, and make decisions based on what is best for the hardworking people of Senate District 6 and the State of Missouri.”
Polls are open until 7 p.m.
