Missouri 8th District showdown: McCallian and Roth vie for Democratic nod

Two Democratic candidates, Randi McCallian and Denny Roth will go head-to-head for the party’s nomination in the Missouri 8th Congressional District race during the Tuesday, Aug. 6, primary election in hopes of knocking off incumbent Rep. Jason Smith in November.

McCallian of Edgar Springs is running her campaign on investing in rural housing development, rural access to high-speed internet, ensuring affordable healthcare, repairing and maintaining roads and bridges in the district, investing in high-quality public education, protecting unions, keeping corporations out of small farms and local land and combating government surveillance.

McCallian, who ran unopposed in the 2022 Democratic primary, was handily defeated by Smith during the general election, receiving just 21.9% of the vote to Smith’s 76%.

“(U.S. Rep. Jason) Smith is farther right than a libertarian," McCallian said during the 2022 election cycle. "He wants to see the dissolution of government. He doesn't want us collecting any taxes. He wants it free-for-all, every man for himself — women and children and elderly be damned. He is supposed to be our main spokesperson in Congress, and he's not doing his job. At this point, he's only in it for himself. Again, he leads the poorest, hungriest district in the state with the least amount of job opportunities. And he's been there for nine years. So, it's not like he's slowly lifting us out of it, he just doesn't care."

Roth, a Jefferson County resident, is running for office for the first time in 2024. He is staunchly pro-universal health care and pro-union. Additionally, Roth is campaigning on protecting Social Security benefits, ensuring all citizens have equal rights, restricting gun access for people with mental health issues, removing private insurance from agriculture, reforming campaign finance laws and creating more effective drug policies.

“Our district needs better jobs, higher wages, affordable health care including access to rural hospitals, a new farm program that does a better job of helping small farmers and to protect and increase Social Security benefits. Everyone wants these things — Democrats and Republicans aren't nearly as far apart as the media would have us believe. We don't have to hate each other over issues,” Roth said in an interview with the Southeast Missourian in January. “I was a grain farmer for 26 years with my father where I learned the value of hard work, determination and honesty.”