Incumbent Rep. Bob Onder will face two challengers – Democrat Bethany Mann and Libertarian Jim Higgins – on Nov. 3 to represent Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District.
After a contentious legal battle, the district will follow its 2022 boundaries, which include includes the western half of Jefferson County and all or parts of Boone, Callaway, Camden, Cole, Cooper, Gasconade, Maries, Miller, Montgomery, Moniteau, Osage, St. Charles, Warren and Washington counties.
Onder, a Republican has held the seat since 2024 and is seeking a second term.
U.S. representatives receive an annual salary of approximately $174,000 and serve a two-year term.
Mann, 43, of St. Peters is an environmental chemist and technology professional with experience in laboratory operations, agricultural technology and scientific training. She earned an associate degree in science and pre-pharmacy from Lincoln Land Community College in 2008 and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois in Springfield in 2010. She has served as vice chairwoman of the Missouri Democrats LGBTQIA+ Caucus since 2022. She’s been a member of the NAACP Mid-Missouri chapter since 2023. Since 2021, she has served on the Kansas Laboratory Education Association. She served on the board for the Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Forage Consortium from 2013-2015. She’s a member of the Communications Workers Association Local 6300 and the International Association of Firefighters Local 2665. She is a current member of the Missouri Democrats Progressive and Rural caucuses. She and her husband, Carson, have three children.
Higgins, 78, of St. Louis is retired. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He and his wife, Ladonna, have two daughters.
Onder, 64, of St. Charles owns a private medical practice specializing in allergy, asthma and clinical immunology. He earned a master’s degree from the Washington University School of Medicine and a juris doctor from St. Louis University Law School. He served in the Missouri House from 2007-2009, the state Senate from 2015-2023, and has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2025. He and his wife, Allison, have six children.
Why should voters elect you, and what are your goals if elected?
Mann: As an environmental chemist and working mom, I bring fact-based, practical problem-solving to Congress. I am running because our future is at stake. I believe in freedom — the freedom to make our own medical decisions, the freedom to vote, and the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water. My goals are to lower costs for working families, expand access to affordable healthcare and protect our environment from corporate exploitation. I’m not a career politician; I’m a neighbor who listens. I’m running to build a government that works for “We the People,” ensuring every child grows up with the opportunity to thrive. I will hold corporate interests accountable, fight for our workers and replace partisan chaos with science-driven solutions that bring real stability and economic growth to Missouri’s 3rd District.
Higgins: I will work to reduce government to the size the Founding Fathers intended. The primary function of government is to protect its citizens and protect their property. Bureaucrats do not respect either of those. The U.S. government has become bloated with costly, inefficient bureaucracy and self-serving politicians. An army of bureaucrats lives off our taxes. There is a budget crisis in the federal government. All politicians know this but lack the courage and discipline to do anything about it. I want to trim excessive government spending. I would abolish outdated, costly and inefficient federal agencies. I would also work to eliminate subsidies for businesses. The government should not be picking winners and losers with our tax dollars. I would also work to ban insider trading by members of Congress. This is illegal in the business world, and it definitely should be illegal in the political world.
Onder: In Congress, I am proudly fighting to put Missouri and America first. During my second term, I’ll continue to work to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse and help Missourians keep more of their hard-earned money. During my first term, I was proud to work alongside House Republicans to pass the largest tax cut in American history. Missouri families saw a $7,000-plus boost in take-home pay thanks to the Working Families Tax Cut Act. Additionally, I’ve been on the front lines in the effort to protect our children. In Washington, I introduced the Chloe Cole Act to join President Trump in the mission to stop transgender procedures on our children. It’s time to put a stop to these permanent and life-altering surgeries on our kids and ensure that parents are never kept in the dark about their own child’s health. I look forward to continuing to work to pass this critical legislation to protect our kids.
What’s the biggest threat to Social Security and Medicare, and how do you believe that threat should be addressed?
Mann: The biggest threat to Social Security and Medicare is a Congress that refuses to strengthen them while considering benefit cuts that would make working families and seniors pay the price. These programs are promises Americans have earned through a lifetime of work, not handouts or bargaining chips. We should address their long-term funding challenges by protecting benefits, rejecting privatization and requiring wealthy Americans to contribute their fair share instead of placing the burden on workers and retirees. We must also lower prescription drug and healthcare costs, and crack down on waste and corporate profiteering that drives up Medicare spending. I will oppose efforts to cut benefits or raise the retirement age. Missouri seniors deserve the security they worked for, and younger workers deserve confidence that these programs will be there for them. The greatest threat is not that Social Security and Medicare cannot be protected, but that Washington will choose not to act.
Higgins: Social Security and Medicare were designed as Ponzi schemes where an ever-expanding workforce would fund retirees. Now that the birth rate has collapsed, these programs are in trouble. Soon they will be broke. The reality is that at this point there are no quick fixes. The longer politicians ignore the problem, the worse the impending crisis will be. These programs were never fiscally sound. Unfortunately, some unpopular steps will need to be taken. Maybe have people work longer or accept fewer benefits. Relying on billionaires to bail this out will not be enough to solve this problem for very long. The ultimate goal would be to privatize these programs, so they are not subject to the whims of politicians who sacrifice future obligations in favor of short-term popularity.
Onder: Waste, fraud and abuse within government programs are a huge threat to our nation’s future. It is absolutely essential that we preserve Social Security and Medicare to honor the promises that we have made to retired and disabled Americans. Therefore, it’s all the more important to crack down on waste, fraud and abuse within these programs, as well as other government programs, in order to preserve Social Security and Medicare for future generations. For example, just a week ago, the Department of Justice’s Fraud Division brought charges against 17 individuals who allegedly stole over $1.34 million in Social Security benefits in a single month. This is unacceptable, and I will continue to fight in Washington to end waste, fraud and abuse and protect our seniors.
What strategies would you use to improve communication between your office and the district to which you serve?
Mann: Good representation starts with being accessible to the people you serve. I would hold regular town halls throughout the district, including in smaller and rural communities that are too often overlooked, so constituents can speak with me directly, ask questions and hold me accountable. My office would also prioritize a strong local presence, with staff assigned to serve communities across every county in the district. Constituent services should be easy to access whether someone needs help with Social Security, Medicare, veterans’ benefits, a federal agency or another issue. Communication also must work both ways. My office would provide regular updates through local media, email, social media and community organizations while creating clear ways for residents to share concerns and request assistance. I want every constituent, regardless of party or ZIP code, to know who to call, where to go and that their congressional office will respond.
Higgins: More town hall meetings. Lots of media interviews.
Onder: During my first term in Congress, one of our office’s top priorities has been to communicate with residents of the district and provide exceptional constituent services to them. To date, our office has resolved over 1,250 constituent cases, returning nearly $5.3 million to residents of Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District. In addition to the travel my staff and I do across the district, our office stays in frequent communication with constituents by hosting telephone town halls, sending out mailers, distributing our weekly newsletter and soliciting feedback on important issues through surveys.
How would you address the nation’s election system?
Mann: Our election system should make voting secure, accessible and worthy of the public’s trust. I support protecting voting rights, ending partisan gerrymandering and ensuring politicians cannot manipulate election rules or district lines simply because they dislike the outcome voters deliver. We should invest in local election offices, modernize aging equipment, strengthen cybersecurity, maintain auditable paper records and support rigorous post-election audits. Election officials also need reliable federal resources to administer elections safely and efficiently. At the same time, we should remove unnecessary barriers that make it harder for eligible Americans to register and vote, while maintaining strong safeguards against fraud. Most importantly, elected officials must respect certified election results and the peaceful transfer of power. Democracy depends on voters choosing their representatives, not representatives choosing their voters. I will support reforms that protect both election security and every eligible American’s ability to cast a ballot and have it counted.
Higgins: For the most part, it is fair and accurate. Mail-in voting should be kept to a minimum and strict verification should be in effect.
Onder: I believe that election integrity is the key to sustaining our democracy. In 2022, when I was in the Missouri Senate, I was the leader in negotiating HB 1878, a package of key election reforms that made Missouri’s voting system one of the most secure in the country. This bill ultimately required the use of paper ballots in Missouri’s elections, required all voters to present a valid photo ID when voting, and banned “Zuckerbucks.” In Congress, I voted to pass the SAVE America Act out of the House of Representatives three times. This bill ensures that only American citizens are able to vote by removing non-citizens from the voter rolls, requiring that applicants show proof of citizenship when registering to vote and requiring voters to provide valid photo identification when voting in federal elections.
