Reese Bentzinger
Editorial Assistant
Northeast News

Still seeking more information about who our congressional candidates are? Here’s a quick guide on the candidates hoping to win your vote on November 6:

U.S. Senate
•Claire McCaskill (D): McCaskill has occupied a seat in the US Senate since 2006, and hopes to continue her role there. One of her goals is to create regulations that will support small businesses, including support for hiring veterans. She also hopes to use her position to derail sex traffickers.
•Josh Hawley (R): Hawley is now Missouri’s Attorney General, though he hopes to serve in the US Senate. In the past he’s worked toward slowing down the opioid epidemic, believing some practices of larger manufacters to be unethical. He also wants to protect the rights of churches.
•Jo Crain (G): Crain hopes to join the US Senate to help create a better future. One goal of hers is to support policies that help immigrants. She also hopes to make housing and healthcare have a higher reach.
•Japheth Campbell (L): Campbell believes that the power of the government is held by the people, and wants to represent the greater community. One of his goals is to decrease national spending by mandating a 10% cut in spending during his first year. He also wants to make sure that all voters have fair representation.
•Craig O’Dear (I): O’Dear started learning the meaning of leadership on the high school football field, and continued to hone it in his time as a lawyer. Although he’s a gun-owner, he believes that there should be a discussion about gun safety. He is also supportive of term limits on politicans.

U.S. Congress
• Emanuel Cleaver (D): Cleaver has been the District 5 US Congressman since 2005, and served as Kansas City’s mayor from 1991 to 1999. He believes that tax cuts should be carefully handled and not interfere with programs that he believes help families. He would like to see Congress pass a bill to help fund education.
• Jacob Turk (R): After serving in the US Marine Corp., Turk became a small business owner, and believes that his experience will help him in politics. He supports loosening regulations and lowering taxes for small businesses. He also is opposed to the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and wants to reform to US Healthcare.
• Alexander Howell (L): Howell believes that the two main political parties aren’t focusing on the issues that citizens are most concerned about, but instead on their opposing issues. Howell has many views that are congruent with both the Democrat and Republican candidates. He wants people to have more liberty, from business ownership to civil rights.
• Maurice Copeland (G): Both a poet and a veteran, Copeland focuses on environmental issues. He believes that reducing the work week to 36 hours without compensation loss will help reduce environmental waste. Copeland also opposes ‘right-to-work’ laws, and believes stronger labor unions will benefit the US economy.
•E.C. Fredland (C): Fredland is a member of the Constitution Party, a group that believes that politicians should be honest. They also want the government to be more local rather than national. The Constitution Party wants focus to be on small businesses rather than large corporations.

State Auditor
•Nicole Galloway (D): Galloway hopes to continue the role she’s served since 2015. Cybersecurity has been a focus in her career, as she believes that the right to privacy is important. She also wants make sure that local governments are acting within the law.
•Saundra McDowell (R): McDowell is a veteran, having served in the military for eight years. She hopes to serve Missourians well, and has experience in defense from her years as a lawyer. One of her goals as state auditor is to use tax dollars to benefit Missourians.
•Jacob Luekemeyer (C): Luekemeyer is joining the race in hopes to bring non-partisanship to Missouri’s government. A goal of his is to make Missouri’s accounting system more standardized. He believes that if this is done, it’ll be easier to citizens to know where their tax dollars are going.
Don Fitz (G): Fitz has worked in both universities and newspapers, and hopes to add politics to his resume. He hopes to watch over energy corporations that may put corporate goals over environmental interests. Another goal of his is to audit our prison system.
Sean O’Toole (L): O’Toole now works in both the Libertarian Party and in software development. He wants to bring a third party option to this year’s auditor race.

State House
•Barbara Anne Washington (D): The current incumbent,Washington started in this position earlier this year. As a member of the house she’s been a part of several committees including The Special Commitee on Government Oversight. In the past she’s sponsored a bill designating July as Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.
•David Martin (R): Martin is a truck driver that wants to bring an outsider’s perspective to the state house. One of his goals is to give more rights to unmarried fathers, believing their involvement in their childrens’ lives is important. He’s also working for decriminalizing marijuana.
•Jeff Francis (I): Francis is bringing a third option to the State House race.

County Executive
•Frank White Jr. (D): Although he’s the current incumbent of the County Executive seat, many might recognize him from his time as a member of the Kansas City Royals. His baseball career is over, but he continues to make an impact by supporting the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. White believes in the importance of families, and has worked with The Boys and Girls Club.
•Nathan Kline (G): Kline is a member of the Green Party because he believes that it remains uncorrupted by corporations. One of his hopes to expand public transportation in an effort to keep KC green. He also wants to invest in those with lower income.

County Legistlator
•Scott Burnett: Burnett has been the First District County Excutive since 1998. Before his time in politics, he held several positions in the environmental cleanup company, PPM, Inc.

Sheriff
•Darryl Forte (D): Forte wants to continue his role as Jackson County Sheriff. He hopes that he can help the police force and those outside of it understand eachother in order to help create a safer community.
•David J. Burnal (R): Before running in this race, Burnhal worked in law enforcement for 37 years. He wants to be a sheriff in order to support the local community.

If you’re curious about the judges who are up for retention, be sure to check out our article about the judicial selection process on Page 8.