GOP aspirants tout state House candidacies for District 147

This story is updated.

The Aug. 2 Republican primary ballot will feature three candidates running in Missouri House District 147 — a seat left vacant by the resignation of Wayne Wallingford.

Wallingford left office in late December to accept a role on Gov. Mike Parson's Cabinet as state director of revenue.

One hopeful is a current member of Cape Girardeau City Council; another is a former Cape Girardeau councilman who served two four-year terms during the tenures of former mayors Harry Rediger and Jay Knudtson; the third is the owner of a Cape Girardeau real estate brokerage and former teacher who has never before sought elective office.

All three appeared at an April 1 forum hosted by Cape Girardeau County Republican Women's Club at Delmonico's Restaurant in Jackson.

The candidates were each given a chance to talk about themselves and their desire to represent the district, which takes in the City of Cape Girardeau, in the General Assembly. For reasons of space and clarity, some of the candidates' remarks may be edited.

John VossJeff Long

John Voss

"I'm a fifth generation Cape Girardeau resident and Cape is my hometown. I worked for 33 years as an engineer at Procter & Gamble and my views mirror those of the conservative Christian values of the area.

"I'm a former president of the Board of Directors for Cape Area Habitat for Humanity and served from 2006 to 2014 on Cape Girardeau City Council, representing Ward 1.

"I was on the council when the city was awarded the state's 13th license for a casino. I led the charge and was under a lot of criticism at the time for backing an urban deer hunt in the ward I represented. We've seen great results from that (hunt). You need a level of courage to speak the unpopular thing.

"As your representative in Jefferson City, I'm not interested in just a seat at the table but ensuring our district gets its fair share of state funding.

"I defend the sanctity of life and will protect the First and Second Amendments. I support the rule of law and law enforcement. I oppose federal overreach. I'm for lower taxes and a smaller and more accountable government."

Voss said he lamented the tone and expense of District 27 state Senate campaign in August 2020, in which Holly Rehder defeated Kathy Swan, vowing to run "a clean campaign."

Elaine EdgarJeff Long

Elaine Edgar

"I've spent 15 years as a Realtor and own my own brokerage, SEMO Home Realty in Cape. I have negotiated $150 million in real estate contracts and will take these strong negotiation skills to Jefferson City.

"I'm a proud supporter of (former President Donald) Trump's agenda and we're heading down the wrong path.

"I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I was one of six kids and we were extremely poor. I started picking fruit by age 8, and by age 12, I was cleaning houses.

"I will not be a RINO, a Republican-in-name-only. Too much is at stake to bow down to the woke mob. I will not raise taxes. I will not authorize one penny for immigration.

"Rampant crime has to be addressed. We've got to make crime a focus."

Asked about gender identity questions and changes related to transgender people, Edgar said, "God made us man and woman."

Edgar called critical race theory "divisive," adding, "we are living in a time like no other. We need people in government who will stand up and fight."

Nate ThomasJeff Long

Nate Thomas

"I'm from rural Perry County, am Catholic, and a graduate of St. Vincent de Paul High School in Perryville. My extended blue-collar family nurtured conservative values.

"I came back to Cape in 2011 after working in Atlanta and in Washington, D.C.

"In D.C., I worked on Capitol Hill for the American Physical Therapy Association and made sure APTA had a voice at the table, and I learned how the sausage is made governmentally. Now, I am a physical therapist and in the information technology department of Saint Francis Medical Center.

"In the community, I serve on the Discovery Playhouse board.

"Because of my legislative background, I am Cape City Council's liaison in Jefferson City. I've been the Ward 3 councilman since 2020.

"Since I have a background in IT, I was involved in finding the hackers who perpetrated the cyberattack on our city government.

"I voted to remove the Confederate monument from Ivers Square but wanted it relocated to another spot in the city.

"In terms of crime, we have to get up to full staffing in our police force.

"I see myself as a servant leader, believing in real, authentic, commonsense problem-solving."

Audience

Several questions were posed to each of the candidates about unsuitable material — one audience member called it "sexualized" — being directed toward young adolescents.

"Our greatest commodity in our society is our children and we have to protect them," Edgar said. "When we're thinking about public institutions supported by our tax dollars, we have to be more involved in making sure that true values are being met and our children are being protected."

Asked whether she thought there was any reason for pornographic material to be in the teen section of the Cape Girardeau Public Library, Edgar answered with a definitive "no."

Thomas said such material should "not be on the shelf."

Voss, the current treasurer of the Cape Girardeau Public Library Board of Trustees, said: "We've got a slippery slope we could get on if we're not careful in terms of censorship. I'm a strong believer in intellectual freedom. I'm not a fan of pornography, don't get me wrong. I also understand as a potential representative that not everyone will share my views. The fundamental responsibility for any information in the library that might be available to a child lies with the parent. Why do we have children in the library without a parent? It is the parent's responsibility to raise that child and the child should be there under the supervision of a parent."

The winner of the Aug. 2 primary will face Democrat Andy Leighton in the November general election.