Three challengers file for Smith's 8th District seat

Three challengers have filed to unseat U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, R-Salem, in Missouri's 8th District.

Todd Mahn of De Soto and Phllip S. Smith of Gatewood have both filed as Republicans. Mahn ran as a Democrat for the position during the special election in 2013, although he lost the Democratic nomination to former Missouri state representative Steve Hodges of East Prairie. He sat out the 2014 election.

"I thought I was a conservative Democrat," Mahn said. "I'm pro-life, I'm pro-Second Amendment, and I'm for lower taxes. One of the things I brought up to the (Democratic) central committee was balancing the budget. They made it clear to me that I was sounding like the other party. ... I came up with the idea that I wasn't in the right party."

Mahn is the owner of Mahn Funeral homes in Festus and De Soto. He said a business approach is crucial to a congressional position. Job creation is his No. 1 issue, and he said bringing jobs to the district could help other problems, such as drug abuse. He said one of his first initiatives would be to create a business committee that would serve an advisory role.

"I look at the factory down there looking to lay off 900 people ... and the 8th District can't lose one job," Mahn said. "There's no excuse for the 8th District being one of the poorest districts in the state. ... We need to turn this around; the 8th District has a lot of assets."

Mahn also said he would try not to be part of an establishment as far as his voting record is concerned.

"We have to have people stand up and say, 'No,'" Mahn said.

Phillip S. Smith could not be reached for comment.

Jonathan Shell of Fredericktown has filed as a Libertarian candidate. Shell said third-party candidates will have more success in 2016 than in previous elections.

"The government is fighting a downhill battle," he said. "They're voting on laws and they don't even read them. ... I believe there are problems with the government that can be fixed, but not by making it bigger, that's for sure."

Shell works at the Gilster-Mary Lee Corp. cereal factory in Perryville, Missouri, and he emphasized he is a working-class candidate.

"I see the problems we're facing," Shell said. He added he thinks about the future for his 6-year-old daughter. "We're struggling; what's her life going to be like?"

Shell said he has Democrats and Republicans in his family, and he has picked out preferred issues for each party. He is an advocate for gun rights, the legalization of marijuana and reforming the justice system. He is against the Affordable Care Act and government intervention into health care.

"This Obamacare is a mess," he said. "I pay almost $100 a week (in health insurance). That's crazy, especially for people making minimum wage."

Shell said he will be running an Internet campaign in an effort to save money.

Jason Smith also filed to run again. He originally was elected when Jo Ann Emmerson left office to become the CEO of National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. He was re-elected in 2014. He serves on the Ways and Means Committee and recently was chosen to the Republican Steering Committee. At 35 years old, he is the second-youngest member of that committee.

"Whether it is helping my neighbors navigate the complicated federal bureaucracy, assisting a community find grant resources or helping veterans and seniors get the benefits they deserve, the most important and rewarding aspect of being a public servant is fighting for folks back home," Smith wrote in a statement. "I am humbled by the opportunity to serve the communities where I was born and raised here in Southeast and South Central Missouri and look forward to continuing to fight to protect the freedoms and values promised to Missourians by the U.S. Constitution."

bkleine@semissourian.com

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