Democratic challenger tries to unseat incumbent in Dist. 145

In the final days of the campaign, candidates for the 145th district in the Missouri House of Representatives are hard at work.

Republican incumbent Shelley Keeney is working to win her last term of office that term limits will allow, and Democratic challenger Charles Elrod is taking some time from his regular job to beat the political bushes.

Elrod, a union construction worker, has given up Saturday hours and overtime to devote to his campaign. Elrod said two things have become clear to him -- constituents in the 145th District are concerned about gun rights and the Affordable Care Act.

"I am 100 percent in support of the Second Amendment," Elrod said. "I don't want any more gun legislation than what we have on the books now. I own 20-something guns, I have a concealed carry permit and I hunt. "

Keeney said she finds that constituents are concerned about the future, "especially, what kind of future will our children and their children have to look forward to," she said. "Whether it is economic woes or concerns over the seemingly never-ending expansion of government at the federal level, folks around here want a state government that works for the people, not against them."

Charles Elrod

Elrod said he believes Missouri dropped the ball when it rejected the Medicaid expansion that he believes would have made the ACA workable.

"Medicaid expansion would provide low income working families with heath care, and we need that in Missouri," Elrod said.

Had Missouri approved Medicaid expansion, he said, a family of five making $36,000 a year could have had their heath care paid for by the federal government, leaving them with the possibility of working their way into some savings and a chance to better their economic status.

Elrod said he is against Amendment 3, and although he doesn't fully understand everything about amendment 10, he plans to vote against it. It has too many unanswered questions, he said, concerning limiting the governor's control over education spending in the presence of the state's mandated balanced budget.

"The motive concerns me greatly," he said.

During her terms in office, Keeney said she has tried to go the extra mile for her constituents.

"I don't view my service just through the legislative process, but also through the work I do to help the people of our district navigate through state government," she said. "Whether it's getting a license to start a new business or helping people deal with state agencies impacting their families, I care deeply about ensuring my constituents are able to get from state government what they need."

Keeney said she has been surprised over the years by the "constant attacks on our way of life from the federal government *... a dramatic shift away from keeping control in the hands of the people and putting it in the hands of politicians and government bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. Whether it's been the federal government takeover of health care or the attacks on our second amendment rights, the lack of trust the federal government puts in the people has been truly surprising."

She said she would spend her final two years, if she wins the election, "working to get government out of the way of job creation, cut wasteful government spending and protect the common-sense values that make our communities strong."

If Elrod is unsuccessful in unseating Keeney, he said he can see himself trying again in 2016. But for now, he said he will be visiting Bollinger County and Perry County during these final days, trying to break through the conservative mindset and making himself known.

Keeney is vague about her future plans. She mentions that she once enjoyed teaching before she was elected to office.

"I'll keep my focus on the people I represent for the next two years, and will see what God has in store or me after that," she said.