Local Republican candidates foursquare behind Parson as primary day nears

Local GOP hopefuls running for the Missouri General Assembly in the Aug. 4 primary election indicate they remain united behind Gov. Mike Parson’s reopening plan.

Unlike Cape Girardeau County, which issued a face-covering order to slow the spread of COVID-19 effective Monday, there is no statewide public health order currently in effect.

Health restrictions on a statewide level were dropped when the state entered Phase II of Parson’s Show Me Strong Recovery Plan on June 16.

State Senate

The Republican candidates vying for the District 27 seat in the Missouri Senate said there is no reason to hit the pause button on reopening, despite a 6.8% increase in statewide cases in the last seven days.

The state’s Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) reports 28,826 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic and 1,093 deaths.

Holly Rehder

State Rep. Holly Rehder (R-Sikeston) said, “I’ve always supported keeping the economy open and allowing people to use common sense.”

Kathy Swan

Her Senate opponent, state Rep. Kathy Swan (R-Cape Girardeau) agrees.

“Throughout this situation,” Swan said, “the Governor has shown he will make the best decisions for our state based on available data and advice from medical experts.

“We must push forward, and we must work to get our economy back up and running at full speed,” she added.

State House

Wayne Wallingford

Rehder and Swan are term-limited in their current offices as is the man each wishes to replace, incumbent state Sen. Wayne Wallingford (R-Cape Girardeau). The Vietnam veteran is seeking the 147th District House seat, currently held by Swan, after having served the maximum eight years in the legislature’s upper chamber.

Wallingford said he thinks Missouri should stay the course in terms of an uninterrupted reopening and any tinkering with health regulations should not be made at the state level.

“I think (restrictions) should be left to local control authorities,” Wallingford said. “They are closer to the issues in their area.”

John Voss

Wallingford’s challenger in the primary is engineer John Voss (R-Cape Girardeau), who indicated Missouri’s economy and the health of its citizens are tied closely together.

“The most recent data I have seen for Missouri and Cape Girardeau County,” Voss said, “indicates less than 1% of our population has been infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which a 0.018% death rate for all Missourians, with only three county residents having died.

“I personally do not think the governor should pause any re-opening of the economy, as this too has resulted in deaths and suffering,” he added.

“I believe individuals are responsible for their own health and that businesses should ensure the health of their employees and customers, including the right to implement safeguards, such as increasing sanitization procedures or requiring masks within their facilities,” Voss said.

Barry Hovis

State Rep. Barry Hovis (R-Whitewater) is running unopposed for reelection to his 146th District House seat and added his voice to the general assent.

“I think the Governor is making decisions based on the best information available to him at a particular point in time,” Hovis said. “I believe the governor’s past decision to relax the restrictions statewide and allow for more individualized local control is still the right decision.”

On Friday, the local GOP candidates for Missouri House and Senate weigh in with their opinions on reopening schools amid the coronavirus pandemic.