Republican Bob Onder enters state's lieutenant governor race

Bob Onder, a former Missouri state senator and representative, visited Cape Girardeau on Tuesday, Dec. 12, as part of his campaign kickoff for the lieutenant governor position.

The Augusta, Missouri, physician previously served one term in the state House and two in the state Senate. For this campaign, he positioned himself as being more conservative than the competition.

"For 20 years, Missourians have trusted Republicans with all branches of state government ... but why is it then that Missouri falls behind our neighbors in the Midwest, other red states, and the nation as a whole in so, so many ways?" he asked the audience at the Courtyard by Marriott Cape Girardeau Downtown. "I think it's because too many times Republicans have squandered the trust that has been placed in them by the voters of our state."

Onder said many Republican politicians in Missouri often get elected, but ignore the wills of their constituents when they get to Jefferson City, even voting more in line with Democratic politicians.

Bob Onder

"I'm running for lieutenant governor because we can do so much better," he said.

Onder promoted his own achievements, such as receiving an endorsement from the pro-life organization Missouri Right to Life.

"Over the years in the Legislature, I've passed and sponsored major legislation to protect innocent human life, to protect your Second Amendment rights, to cut taxes, to eliminate regulations and red tape," he said.

He also said he would tackle crime, bloated budgets and the state's lack of educational results, if elected.

"Allison (his wife) and I, since we first looked at running for state representative back in 2006, we always said we would run if we could find a race in which we could make a difference," Onder said. "I believe lieutenant governor is that race in this year, in part because of my background in the Missouri Senate ... I can work with the government, work with legislators to enact policies that will move our state forward."

The lieutenant governor stands in for Missouri's governor whenever the latter is unavailable and is the president of the Missouri Senate.

After speaking in Cape Girardeau, Onder said he'd be traveling to Springfield and Joplin, Missouri. He said he'd visit the southeast part of the state again on the campaign trail.

Onder is the fifth Republican to enter the race for lieutenant governor. The others are current state House Speaker Dean Plocher, state Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder, Franklin County Clerk Tim Baker and former U.S. House candidate Paul Berry.

The current lieutenant governor, Republican Mike Kehoe, is running for the governor position instead of reelection. The primary election is Tuesday, Aug. 6; the general election will take place three months later on Tuesday, Nov. 5.