Leader endorsements for the Nov. 6 General Election

The Leader Editorial Board – made up of editor Peggy Bess, managing editor Kim Robertson and associate editor Gordon Bess – made the following endorsements for the Nov. 6 General Election, after interviewing candidates in contested races and reviewing information the candidates submitted to the Leader Voters Guide.

Don’t forget to vote on Tuesday, whatever your choices. Also, to save time at the polls, please review the numerous statewide proposals before you head to your polling place, which will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For Jefferson County executive: Dennis Gannon, Republican

This is one of the most closely watched races on the local ballot, for good reason. Now more than at any time since Jefferson County adopted charter government in 2010, vision and leadership are needed at the top.

And Dennis Gannon, from a family deeply rooted in county business and economic development, is best prepared to provide it.

The 63-year-old De Soto businessman has helped run his family’s numerous local enterprises since high school, along the way serving 21 years in the military and achieving officer rank. Meanwhile, the breadth and depth of his community service is exceptional, almost making it easier to name the local boards he hasn’t served on.

But what commends Gannon in particular are his consensus-building skills, harnessed to an even-keel, thoughtful personality – just what our dysfunctional County Council needs. “When you have to collaborate,” he said, “that’s when you get things done. You’ve got to sit down and talk things through.”

One idea he has proposed is to assemble the council, as well as the original drafters of the county charter, to a work session examining the charter line-by-line for a common understanding. “We all read the same document, but we see different things,” he said.

Not a bad way to start.

On Nov. 6, vote for Dennis Gannon for county executive.

For Jefferson County Clerk: Randy B. Holman, Democrat

You can make a pretty good argument that the county clerk is the third most important official in Jefferson County, behind only the county executive and the sheriff. That’s what makes this race just drip with irony.

The current county executive, Ken Waller, appointed Randy B. Holman to replace Wes Wagner as clerk in 2017 after Wagner left office midway through his third term. Wagner was a Democrat, so Waller had to appoint a Democrat in his place. To Waller’s credit, he chose Holman, former longtime Jefferson County assessor – the man he thought was best-qualified to become county clerk.

Now Holman’s Republican opponent on Nov. 6 is Ken Waller, who beat Holman for the county executive job in 2010, when local Republicans swept into office en masse.

Both candidates have extensive records of public service and community involvement and know Jefferson County almost like they know their own families. But Holman, 58, Festus, earns our nod for the numerous improvements he has made in his short time in office.

Among them are the replacement of old voting machines (circa 1995 technology) with modern digital optical scanning equipment; new election reporting software for the county website; new voting cubicles to help reduce voters’ waiting times in line and new rolling security cages (one for each of the county’s polling places) to safeguard election materials.

Holman also has about 100 high school students lined up to volunteer at polling places Nov. 6 under the Missouri Youth Election Participation Program.

If you think he’s satisfied with the progress, think again.

“I’m not one to be complacent,” he said. “If you’re standing still, you’re going backwards.”

Randy B. Holman deserves your vote for Jefferson County clerk on Nov. 6.

For Jefferson County prosecuting attorney: Trisha C. Stefanksi, Republican

Trisha C. Stefanski, a Republican, is the best choice for Jefferson County prosecuting attorney. She has worked for 11 years as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the office and has a plan to move it forward.

Her opponent, Tom Hollingsworth, a Democrat with a lot of name recognition in the county, also works in the office as an assistant prosecuting attorney, but his legal expertise and quirky personality probably would make him a better law professor than prosecuting attorney.

Stefanski, 43, Arnold, has the tools to be a good manager and a good resume to step up to the top job. While she has specialized in drug cases, she points out that drug infractions often pull in other criminal charges – like burglary – giving her a lot of varied experience in the office.

Before joining the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Stefanski worked as a paralegal and as an attorney for the Brown and Crouppen law firm, so she dealt with a wide variety of cases, there, too, including civil cases.

Stefanski said the staff at the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is underpaid, so she hopes to work with county government to get them pay increases. She also wants to see a mold problem cleaned up in the County Courthouse, which would free up space so staff members working in hallways, including some who handle domestic and sexual abuse cases, could be moved into office space.

Stefanski said she also wants to work closer with community groups and other law enforcement, emergency services and mental health agencies to address the drug problem plaguing the county.

“We have to do preventative stuff, too, not just punishment,” she said.

Stefanski she said she also has plans to use social media to better communicate with the public about what the office is doing.

Stefanski has given a lot of thought to how to do this job. Let’s give her the opportunity to put her plans into action. Vote for Tricia C. Stefanski for Jefferson County prosecuting attorney on Nov. 6.

For Jefferson County Circuit Clerk: Mike Reuter, Republican

The Leader did not endorse incumbent Circuit Clerk Mike Reuter in the Primary Election but is choosing him in the General Election.

The same qualification informed both decisions: experience.

For the Aug. 7 contest, the editorial board believed one of Reuter’s four opponents was the more experienced candidate, but the matchup for Nov. 6 is a different ballgame.

Reuter, 51, Imperial, who has one four-year term as circuit clerk under his belt, is a better choice than his Democratic opponent, Dorothy Stafford, whose 20 years as a supervisor in the Circuit Clerk’s Office occurred two decades ago, before she spent another 20 years as county auditor.

Stafford was a capable auditor, but her experience in the Circuit Clerk’s Office was too long ago to have any relevance today.

Reuter has undertaken a number of initiatives that merit attention.

He returned $100,000 in unclaimed money paid over the years by people who posted bond in criminal cases, digitized tens of thousands of historical files, added an information office at the entrance of the courthouse, offered a new passport application service, increased training of employees – including cross training – and began a program to reward employees.

He put his own wallet to work, picking up the $90 monthly tab to bring doughnuts to staff meetings where his 52 employees can learn about changes in state laws, technology upgrades or other matters to help them do their jobs.

Reuter also serves on the legislative committee of the Missouri Circuit Clerks Association, which has been working to increase compensation for circuit clerk staffers, who are state employees.

Reuter has taken the responsibilities of the Circuit Clerk’s Office seriously and has learned a lot in four years.

On Nov. 6, fill in the circle for Mike Reuter for Jefferson County circuit clerk.

For Jefferson County collector: Beth Mahn, Democrat

You have to use all caps when writing an endorsement for Jefferson County Collector Beth Mahn, who is seeking her ninth four-year term on Nov. 6. She has EXPERIENCE.

Mahn, 63, Hillsboro, is understandably an expert in every aspect of her job, and it is a blessing for the county that she wants to put that know-how to work for another four years.

In most of her tenure, Mahn was unopposed at election time, but when many other Democrats fell to Republican challengers in more recent history, voters wisely kept Mahn at her desk.

She reported in her Leader voters guide survey that more than $235 million passes through her office while she collects and distributes real estate and personal property taxes, and that she “has passed every audit with flying colors.”

This is no job for a rookie.

Mahn has kept up with the times. All of her office’s information is available on the Jefferson County website, jeffcomo.org. In addition, she updates the Missouri Department of Revenue weekly on residents who have paid their taxes, and taxpayers are now able to renew license plates online.

County taxes can be paid online, in person, by mail or phone, with paid tax receipts mailed the next business day.

Mahn summed it up well in her survey.

“The collector of revenue is not a position, it is a job, and I am at my desk every day before 8 a.m. doing the job that I have been elected to do. I take a great deal of pride in my work, and my staff and I are constantly striving to improve our processes and adapt to legislative changes. We want to be as responsive to the needs of Jefferson County taxpayers as possible.”

Obviously, Beth Mahn remains dedicated to giving you her best. She deserves your support on Nov. 6.

For Jefferson County auditor: Kristy Apprill, Republican

Kristy Apprill, who is seeking your vote Nov. 6 to stay on as Jefferson County auditor, deserves to get it.

In her 19 years in the Auditor’s Office, Apprill, 43, Hillsboro, has demonstrated her devotion to safeguarding your tax dollars, and has equipped herself with the tools to do the work well.

She was named deputy auditor 17 years ago and since then, has been doing much of the heavy lifting in the office. Her role became official in June, when County Executive Ken Waller promoted her to succeed Auditor Richard Carter, who resigned over a dispute with the County Council.

Apprill said she loves her job and wants to be the best she can be. The proof? She completed an undergraduate degree in accounting, with a minor in auditing in 2013, while working full-time in the Auditor’s Office, and is studying now through Webster University toward a master’s degree in forensic accounting.

As auditor, Apprill helps prepare the county’s annual budget and monitors it throughout the year. She reviews the county’s revenue and expenditures, and tracks the financial activities of each department, making sure correct procedures are followed.

Since her appointment, she has been adding financial documents to the county’s website, increasing public access to them, and plans to create a fraud hotline so taxpayers can report possible misuse of government funds or property.

Apprill makes time in her busy schedule to regularly attend County Council meetings to make sure she is up to date on the expectations for her office.

The auditor’s job, mostly behind the scenes, is nonetheless vital to good government. It requires a professional, and that word defines Kristy Apprill.

Recognize her proven ability at the ballot box on Nov. 6.

For Jefferson County Recorder of Deeds: Debbie “Dunnegan” Waters, Republican

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” says it all in the race for Jefferson County recorder of deeds, pitting the two-term Republican incumbent, Debbie “Dunnegan” Waters, 50, of the Hillsboro area against Democrat Erin Kasten, a newcomer to county politics.

In 2010, when Waters took over this post, the office sorely needed major upgrades in technology and data management. Waters tapped into about $1 million in accumulated recorder’s funds to create a searchable digital database, digitizing records back to 2003. She installed new recording software, created backups and filled in gaps in the records.

As a result, the office, which processes about 250 documents per day, is more efficient than ever.

Waters plans to continue her efforts in back-indexing data, and she wants to upgrade computer hardware and develop a property fraud alert system.

This is one administrator who needs to stay right where she is. You can assure that with your mark next to Debbie “Dunnegan” Waters’ name for county recorder of deeds on Nov. 6.

For Jefferson County Council:

■ Krystal Hargis, District 3, Democrat

■ Tracey Perry, District 5, Republican

■ Amy Jennewein, District 7, Democrat

The Jefferson County Council needs a clean slate heading into 2019 – or at least as much of one as voters can provide. That is why the Leader is endorsing three newcomers to take seats at the council table.

The power struggle between the county executive and the County Council has dominated our newspaper’s pages for the last couple of years, but the truth is, the council has been faction-ridden and dysfunctional from its inception, when our brand-new charter government ushered in the council’s first seven members eight years ago.

While some council members haven’t contributed to the acrimony, those few were never enough to overcome an overall environment of misguided power-building.

Too many council members have focused on consolidating control rather than serving constituents, and thus have seriously hampered our county’s progress and kept the charter from achieving its purpose – a better quality of life for all of us.

We’re already assured of getting a new county executive in this election cycle, with voters choosing between Republican Dennis Gannon or Democrat Jeff Roorda. And one eight-year council incumbent (Don Bickowski in District 1) lost his bid for re-election in the primary to Brian Haskins, who is unopposed in the general.

That means, if voters choose Hargis, Perry and Jennewein on Nov. 6, new voices will have the majority on the council, perhaps allowing that body to finally start achieving its potential.

■ District 3, serving the city of Arnold and surrounding unincorporated area

Krystal Hargis, 57, Arnold, is a retired Fox C-6 teacher of gifted education with 17 years of community service on the Jefferson College Board of Trustees, marked by her ability to work well with others – a vital credential for the County Council.

She has a worthy list of goals, centering on improving infrastructure, developing our workforce, promoting business opportunities and creation of good jobs, and emphasizing public safety.

Her opponent, Phil Hendrickson, was appointed to the County Council about a year ago to fill the vacancy when Bob Boyer was elected as county assessor. Hendrickson deserves credit for his willingness to serve, but he has not shown leadership in changing the council’s demeanor.

In this fractious environment, the County Council needs people who will be part of the solution. That person in District 3 is Krystal Hargis.

■ District 5, serving southeastern Jefferson County, including the Quad Cities (Festus, Crystal City, Herculaneum and Pevely)

Tracey Perry, 50, Festus area, is the director of social services for Festus Manor Nursing Home, with a degree and 20 years of experience in social work, plus 20 years with the military. A current member of the Jefferson R-7 Board of Education, she has a long list of community service on her resume.

Most importantly, Perry points to listening skills and her consensus-building personality as a good match for what the County Council needs. She also has a clear vision for boosting her district and the county at-large.

“We need to grow our county and be proactive in combating the drug epidemic and other social problems that affect our families and our businesses,” she said in her Leader candidate survey. “I want to rebuild a council that focuses on real problems and to help build a Jefferson County where families and businesses thrive. I want to build excellent communication with business owners and help cut through the red tape that is preventing growth. I want to help keep our county safe from all threats – environmental, financial and social.”

Dan Darian, who lives in the De Soto area, has behaved admirably in his few months as the appointed replacement for Councilman Jim Kasten, who resigned late last year. But Darian’s voice is seldom heard. Perry comes across as someone with true leadership potential.

District 5 voters should give Tracey Perry a chance to prove it.

■ District 7, serving west and central Jefferson County, taking in the communities of House Springs, Cedar Hill, Dittmer, Morse Mill and surrounding areas.

Amy Jennewein, 35, House Springs, is a grocery manager for Price Chopper in House Springs and has been a shop steward for the United Food and Commercial Workers since 2007. The mother of four daughters, she was elected to the Northwest R-1 school board in 2017, the district she grew up in, and has a long list of volunteer activities.

In this, she is similar to her opponent, Jim Terry, who is completing his first term on the County Council, and has devoted his time to public service since retiring as an electrical engineer. Terry also can point to accomplishments on the County Council.

However, rather than being an emissary for peace in county government, Terry has participated in the disharmony.

Jennewein pledges to work for residential and commercial growth, and to collaborate with the county Health Department to combat the opioid crisis, an area where the County Council fell woefully short in 2017.

She points to her background as a shop steward as a qualification, and we agree.

“In situations that seem next to impossible for others to find common ground, I am excellent at helping them find it and settling grievances in a timely manner,” she said in her Leader survey.

In District 7, give Amy Jennewein a chance to put her skills to work.

Since 2011, the Jefferson County Council has largely been an impediment to good county government rather than an asset.

It doesn’t have to be like this. Let’s vote Nov. 6 to give new people a chance to fix it.

For Div. 4 Jefferson County circuit judge: Brenda Stacey, Republican

Whenever voters have the opportunity to elect a circuit judge who comes with previous experience on the bench, they should take that deal.

That’s just what they can do with a vote for Brenda Stacey, 43, Arnold, the Republican running for Div. 4 circuit judge in the 23rd Judicial Circuit. Her opponent, Democrat Jacob “Jake” Costello, is an assistant prosecuting attorney whose resume checks a lot of boxes, but is lacking judicial experience.

Stacey is completing her first four-year term as Div. 11 associate circuit judge and is well equipped to step up to the circuit level, where the cases are typically more complicated and of a more serious nature than those handled in the lower division.

In her time as an associate judge, Stacey’s docket has included family, juvenile and probate cases, pretrial motions, and jury trials in both criminal and civil cases.

She preceded her judicial career with a decade of private practice where she also handled an array of cases.

Stacey has attended Judicial College each year since her first election, becoming more knowledgeable and effective. She already has made the transition from lawyer to judge – “You have to change your hat,” she said – and is already on the ground, running.

Stacey closed her Leader election survey with a convincing argument.

“A circuit court judge makes decisions and rulings that affect the lives, property, liberty and rights of the parties. Our county deserves quality judges who don't just meet expectations, but exceed them. I exceed expectations. I am the best person for the job.”

We concur. Vote for Brenda Stacey for circuit judge.

For 97th District state representative: Mike Revis, Democrat

If you met Mike Revis, the 27-year-old who is seeking to retain his seat as 97th District state representative, on the campaign trail, chances are you liked him.

We like him, too, and urge you to give him your vote on Nov. 6. He is home-grown, with family roots here going back 300 years, and has a heart to serve.

Revis, whose district takes in parts of north and northwest Jefferson County and a small portion of St. Louis County, won his seat in a special election in February. A newcomer to politics, he found a calling in working to make his constituents’ lives better. He takes pleasure in recounting his successful push for safety improvements at the dangerous Hwy. 141 and 13th Street intersection in Fenton and describes a heart-lifting night in the Legislature when House members voted unanimously for a bill that boosted the state’s sheltered workshop program, after hearing firsthand from people the program has benefited.

“There wasn’t a dry eye in the place,” Revis said, pointing to the bipartisan tidal wave of support as an example of what CAN happen in the Legislature.

He’d like to see more of that, and so would we.

Although Revis wears a “D” on his sleeve, he aligns with his pro-life constituents, and like most of Jefferson County’s representatives, he is a strong voice for labor. He suspended his own campaign during the summer to stump against Right to Work. In this, he is starkly different from his opponent, Mary Elizabeth Coleman, who went on record in favor of Right to Work before voters buried it on Aug. 7.

She pledges now to align with constituents if the issue ever returns, but she calls concerns that it might “fear-mongering.”

Hmm. This is Missouri, after all, where the state Legislature has had a poor record on respecting voters’ expressed ballot box decisions.

Mike Revis promises to be a defender of the middle class. In our view, he’s equipped to keep that promise and merits your vote on Nov. 6.

For 111th District state representative: Phoebe Ottomeyer, Democrat

Phoebe Ottomeyer, who retired after working for 25 years as a state probation and parole officer (22 years in Hillsboro) and is a member of Jefferson County Democratic Central Committee, earned our endorsement the easy way: She answered our questions about what she would do if she got the chance to represent the 111th District, which takes in northwest Jefferson County.

That’s more than can be said of her opponent. Incumbent Republican Shane Roden, who is seeking a third term, did not accept an invitation to talk to the Leader editorial board in this election cycle or in the last, two years ago.

Ottomeyer, 58, Cedar Hill, saw the opiate epidemic at close range in her career and pledges to make that a priority if elected.

“Let’s not build walls around this problem,” she said, advocating for “realistic treatment resources” and a countywide collaborative effort.

She also supports Medicaid expansion, higher pay for state employees (Missouri ranks 50th, dead last), integrity and transparency in state government, and bipartisan approaches to issues.

“We need to move past (partisan labels),” she said. “We’re not going to agree on everything, but let’s find the 50 percent we can agree on.”

On Nov. 6, vote for Phoebe Ottomeyer for 111th District state representative.

For 112th District state representative: Rob Vescovo, Republican

Sending State Rep. Rob Vescovo of Arnold back to the state House of Representatives for a third term makes sense for the 112th District and for Jefferson County.

Vescovo’s Republican peers chose him to serve as floor majority leader during the 2018 legislative session, and if he returns to the Legislature, he plans to seek a two-year term in that role, considered the second most powerful position in the House.

As majority leader, Vescovo set the legislative calendar and decided which bills made it to the floor for debate and when. Jefferson County’s other reps say Vescovo excelled in the role and he takes pride that he worked well not only with Republicans but also with Democrats.

Vescovo, 41, said he “loved” the job, although it was challenging to be on the leadership team during the investigation and eventual resignation of Gov. Eric Greitens.

House majority leader is a statewide role, but Jefferson County’s legislative corps and the county at large will benefit if Vescovo gets another go-round.

Vescovo is proud of two laws he successfully sponsored early in his four-year legislative career. Responding to issues that surfaced during and after former Fox C-6 School District Superintendent Dianne Critchlow’s tenure, Vescovo won passage of legislation requiring bond sales to be bid out rather than negotiated, a change he expects will save taxpayers millions of dollars over time. He also promoted another bill that created better monitoring of paid administrative leave.

Vescovo, who was adopted and has five children, is an ardent pro-life advocate and, after five years on the Jefferson County Port Authority, is well equipped to work for our port at the state level.

It must be acknowledged he supports Right to Work, even after Jefferson County voters were among the most emphatic in Missouri in renouncing it in August, and he has accepted campaign donations from Right to Work proponent David Humphreys.

But Vescovo said the Legislature has no intention of bringing the issue back up for discussion, and pointed out that, as prospective majority floor leader for the next legislative session, he should know.

The 112th District, covering portions of north and central Jefferson County, does not have a strong Democratic candidate on Nov. 6.

Rob Vescovo is the best choice.

For 113th District state representative: Dan Shaul, Republican

Dan Shaul, the incumbent to represent northeast Jefferson County in the 113th District, is going for his third term in the Missouri House on Nov. 6. We believe he is voters’ best choice.

An Air Force veteran and the director of the Missouri Grocers Association, Shaul is consistently conservative on most issues, in step with his constituency.

Unlike the majority of 113th District voters, he supported Right to Work, but Shaul said he would not vote for it again.

Nor will he be asked to, he believes.

“Right to work is over; Prop A (which voters forcefully rejected on Aug. 7) spoke loudly,” he said.

Shaul, 49, Imperial, has taken on more responsibility in the House, sitting on seven committees, including co-chairing the elections and financial institutions panels. In this year’s session, he helped guide a wide-ranging election reform bill (SB592) to passage with some bipartisan support.

Shaul also has served on the Windsor C-1 School District Board of Education since 2010, giving him on-the-ground knowledge for addressing education issues at the Capitol. Meanwhile, his background in working for business owners drives his interest in economic development and his focus on the Jefferson County port and the highways Z and M corridors.

“We want to be more than a drive-through county,” he said.

Vote for Dan Shaul for state representative in the 113th District on Nov. 6.

For 114th District state representative: Becky Ruth, Republican

Becky Ruth, a 54-year-old retired teacher and resident of Festus, hit her stride as a legislator in 2018, sponsoring nine bills, seven of which were signed into law.

Among them were measures establishing a first-time homebuyers savings account, requiring Braille education for blind students and establishing a Rare Disease Advisory Committee.

Ruth also helped engineer a new law requiring the state Board of Education to include an active teacher as a non-voting member. When it comes to education issues, which she experienced up close in her professional career, she has backed her words with action.

In addition, she’s vice chairman of the transportation committee and chairs the subcommittee on ports – positions that relate directly to economic development in Jefferson County.

Among her priorities if re-elected, she said, is to “take a hard look” at the bidding process for state license offices, in the wake of the nonprofit Twin City Area Chamber of Commerce losing its license office contract – after 45 years – to a for-profit firm earlier this year.

Ruth is pro-life and was among the first Republicans in the House to call for Eric Greitens to resign as governor, three months before he finally did.

For voters preferring to send people to Jefferson City who can actually accomplish a few things while staying in touch with their constituents, Becky Ruth meets that standard. She deserves re-election on Nov. 6 to the 114th District, representing eastern central Jefferson County in the Missouri House.

For 118th District state representative: Barbara Marco, Democrat

Barbara Marco is Jefferson County’s best choice in the race for 118th District state representative.

The district encompasses the southwest portion of Jefferson County and the northeast portion of Washington County, with Jefferson Countians in the majority, at 60 percent of the district’s population.

Marco, 65, a Democrat who lives in De Soto, would be a stronger advocate for the county than her opponent, Republican Mike McGirl lives in Potosi, part of Washington County.

This election replaces term-limited Hillsboro Democrat Ben Harris, who replaced his mother, Belinda Harris, eight years ago. If Jefferson County can retain the seat, it makes sense to do so.

Marco said she supports unions and would work to represent the working class over the rich and big corporations.

As a single mother, Marco went to college to learn the skills she needed to start her own business, so she appreciates the importance of education and said she would work to better fund schools.

She said her experience running two businesses gave her ideas about how to improve workers’ compensation insurance policies to help small business owners.

She wants to work for more affordable health care; improving roads, bridges and other infrastructure; and building relationships with legislators on both sides of the aisle to accomplish goals.

“I want to make all the friends I can and talk to people to see if we can understand a different point of view,” she said.

We endorse Barbara Marco for state representative in the 118th District on Nov. 6.

For 22nd District state senator: Paul Wieland, Republican, or Robert Butler, Democrat

We rarely have “split decisions,” to coin a boxing term, in our candidate endorsements. But this race offers two strong, viable candidates with different points of appeal.

The incumbent, Paul Wieland, 55, Imperial, seeks his second and final Senate term after serving three terms in the Missouri House. An insurance agent by trade, Wieland is one of the most experienced legislators in Jefferson City, wielding influence and demonstrating an ability to get things done. In the 2018 session alone, he sponsored 28 bills, including two signed into law (SB 982 and SB 1072) enacting much-needed consumer protections on health insurance. He sits on six committees and is chairman of the Insurance and Banking Committee.

That kind of leverage in the halls of power is a real asset for Jefferson County.

His principal opponent, however, Democrat Robert Butler, 54, has plenty of positives as well. The Barnhart attorney focuses on labor, health care and education, favoring Medicaid expansion and bipartisan approaches to problems. He said if he’s elected he’ll quickly pursue expanding health care access in rural areas through nurse practitioners, and reforming state mining laws to control mine development near residential areas – both important concerns in Jefferson County. And, like Wieland, he’s pro-life.

Wieland is the No. 1 recipient of lobbyists’ gifts in the Legislature over the last four years; Butler pledges to take none.

This one is your call; either way, voters in the 22nd District, which takes in the north half of Jefferson County, will have capable representation when the 100th session of the General Assembly begins in January.

For 2nd District, U.S. House of Representatives: Cort VanOstran, Democrat

A talented, young and energetic candidate gives the roughly 7,000 Arnold voters in the 2nd Congressional District a clear choice in this race.

Cort VanOstran, a 30-year-old attorney from Clayton, gets our nod for several reasons. His biography is gripping. As an 8-year-old, he lost his father to suicide, but 10 years later, he went to Harvard on an Elks scholarship. His mother died of breast cancer just two years ago, giving him a personal interest in protecting health care.

He wants to treat the opioid epidemic as a public health crisis by expanding access to treatment and holding drug companies accountable; work for genuine tax reform rather than tax cuts for the wealthy; and reform campaign finance starting with his own pledge to take no money from political action committees.

Perhaps most importantly, he plans to align with a “problem-solvers” caucus in Congress that pledges to find bipartisan solutions to national concerns.

VanOstran has held three town-hall meetings in the district and shared his views at candidate forums while his Republican opponent, incumbent Ann Wagner, has been conspicuously absent. VanOstran sat down with the Leader editorial board, seeking an endorsement. Wagner did not.

She also says nothing about bipartisan solutions to problems.

Worse, she betrayed a lack of principles in her on-off-on support for Donald Trump in 2016. We don’t need two-faced politicians representing us in Congress.

VanOstran has shown he respects and listens to Jefferson County voters.

Vote for Cort VanOstran for congressman on Nov. 6.

For 8th District, U.S. House of Representatives: Kathy Ellis, Democrat

Kathy Ellis, who is challenging incumbent Jason Smith, is the local advocate Jefferson County needs in a far-flung district that includes the southern half of Jefferson County, as well as 29 other counties in southeast and south-central Missouri.

Jefferson County is the most densely populated part of the district, so it makes sense to elect Ellis as our voice in Congress.

Ellis, 62, a Democrat, grew up in House Springs, graduated from Northwest High School and now lives south of Festus in the Jefferson R-7 area.

Smith, a Republican who grew up in Salem and lists Cape Girardeau as his current address, didn’t visit the Leader editorial board seeking an endorsement.

Ellis, who made her pitch to the board, said she wants to use the people skills she’s learned as a clinical social worker, addictions counselor and therapist to help Jefferson Countians and others in the district.

In her campaign, Ellis racked up more than 47,000 miles on her car traveling the district, which she said is the 11th poorest district in the country and needs a watchful advocate.

Ellis said access to affordable health care is the No. 1 concern among the people she visited, particularly in rural parts of the district, where health care services are scarce.

She said she would work to bring more federally qualified health care centers, like the ones Comtrea has opened, to the district.

Ellis said another priority would be improving infrastructure, particularly expanding access to broadband, a problem for Jefferson County, too.

“When I’m traveling through the district, I have two hours when I don’t have cell service,” she said.

Ellis also said she has learned the importance of keeping an eye on the budget while running her own small business – a private practice as a psychotherapist.

Kathy Ellis offers better representation for Jefferson County and merits your support on Nov. 6.