Republican Jim Avery of Pacific and Democrat Jeff Abney of Barnhart are vying for the seat held for the last four years by Mary Elizabeth Coleman.
In March 2025, Coleman announced she would not seek a second term. State senators are limited to two four-year terms.
Avery and Abney both ran unopposed in the August primary.
State senators currently receive a $41,770 salary, plus mileage and a per-diem payment for expenses for each day the General Assembly is in session.
Abney, 44, of Barnhart is an attorney. He holds an associate degree in computer science from Columbia College and bachelor’s degrees in business administration and legal studies from Webster University. He also holds a law degree from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. He was awarded the United States Armed Forces Volunteer Service Medal. Additionally, he was awarded the University of Maryland Community Scholar Prize and Public Service Award. He is the former volunteer head coach for eighth-grade football in Clayton. He and his spouse, Shayla Johnson-Abney, have three children.
Avery, 55, of Pacific retired after nearly 23 years of military service, including four years in the Marine Corps and the remainder with the Missouri Army National Guard. He had three combat deployments and earned the Army Commendation Medal. He is a lawyer, having earned his degree from St. Louis University. He owns Avery Injury Law. He served in the state House representing District 95 from 2003-2009. He is a board member at Hero’s Network, a nonprofit that supports military families and first responders. His wife is Lindsay.
Why should voters elect you, and what are your goals if elected?
Abney: I was born and raised in Jefferson County. I know the struggles and issues that people have to go through and deal with here. I am tired of politicians never following through with their promises. My goals are to represent the people of Jefferson County and do everything within my power to make sure our schools are properly funded. I want our firefighters, emergency services and police departments to be properly funded, along with our highways not taking a decade to be repaired. I will fight to make things better for the people and not waste time and energy on things that do not matter.
Avery: I have spent my life serving my country and community: more than 22 years in the military, including three combat deployments, and three terms in the Missouri House. I’m also an attorney and small-business owner. I am running for state Senate because Jefferson City needs real leadership. Too often, politicians answer to special interests, not the working families who sent them there. I will be different. I will fight to actually cut taxes for the middle class. I will support our veterans and first responders. I will stop Flock cameras from being used for mass surveillance. I will protect our communities from being exploited by data centers and Big Tech, and I will stop Wall Street from buying our homes. I am running for state Senate to fight for you.
Gov. Kehoe has said efforts to end Missouri’s state income tax would resurface. Do you support ending the state income tax? How should the state address the anticipated loss of revenue that would occur if the income tax were abolished?
Abney: I support ending income tax and property tax, but I support it only if and when we properly address the means and ways to replace the tax revenue that it generates for our annual budget. The solution is researching how other states that are actually similar to Missouri do things and implement the revenue, tax and budget policies that work elsewhere. Once we have a viable plan, then we can reduce and eliminate property and income tax.
Avery: I support eliminating Missouri’s state income tax, but I never supported Amendment 5. The legislature already has the power to eliminate the income tax without handing Jefferson City a blank check to raise other taxes. In order to eliminate the income tax without raising all kinds of other taxes, we have to cut waste. Unnecessary spending, bloated bureaucracy and tax breaks and special deals for large corporations all must be eliminated.
The state is expecting a tighter budget year, given that reserves have been depleted. Where do you believe the state should first look to cut expenses so that it can achieve a balanced budget? What do you believe the state’s funding priorities should be?
Abney: I would cut all funding to MOScholars and reallocate that back into the public education fund. I would then use the 21 percent gaming tax revenue and the 10 percent sports betting tax revenue as proposed to the voters. Allocate the pre-gambling tax budget numbers to education and then add the additional taxes earned off gambling to the education budget. I would do the same for the marijuana taxes as it pertains to the Missouri Veterans Commission and state public defender system. My focus after that would be to ensure funding for emergency services, child care and then state highway and infrastructure. I would then actually tax corporations and the wealthy at an appropriate rate to not increase the burden on the working class.
Avery: Before we do anything, I want a serious audit of the state budget. We need to know how much taxpayer money is being handed out through tax incentives and special deals for large corporations while our small-business owners are left to compete on their own. I believe it is time to stop picking winners and losers with taxpayer dollars. Let’s cut the handouts, eliminate waste and make sure our money is going where it is actually needed. We need to make sure we are funding public safety, roads and bridges, veterans’ services, the National Guard, public schools and services for the elderly, disabled and children. We have to be more responsible with taxpayer dollars.
