Incumbent David Casteel faces a challenger for the Missouri House District 97 seat in the Republican Party’s primary election on Aug. 4.
District 97 covers a portion of northwest Jefferson County, including High Ridge, Murphy and Fenton.
David Robertson has filed for the seat as a Republican. Democrat Dan Schaefer has also filed for the seat but runs unopposed. The winners of the primary will face off at the November general election.
Casteel was first elected to the seat in 2022 and was reelected in 2024.
House representatives are paid an annual salary of $41,770 and serve two-year terms.
Casteel, 43, of High Ridge is the president of C and C Seamless Guttering Inc. During his time as a state representative, Casteel has served as chairman of the commerce committee. He previously served on the Roofing and Siding Alliance Board for five years. He is a donor to two children’s homes in the greater St. Louis area. Casteel is engaged to Jordin Lamb, and he has one son.
Robertson, 52, of High Ridge is a retired physics and mathematics professor. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisc., in 1996 and a master of science degree from Stanford University in 1998. Robertson organized the St. Louis Medical Freedom March in 2022, created and managed the “We the People of Missouri/STL Patriots Events” e-mail distribution list from 2022-2025.
Why should voters elect you, and what are your goals if elected?
Casteel: Voters should elect me because I bring a proven record of leadership, practical experience and a commitment to delivering results for our communities. During my time in the Missouri House, including serving as chairman of the commerce committee, I have focused on strengthening our economy, supporting job growth and reducing unnecessary barriers for businesses and workers. I approach each issue with a focus on common-sense solutions and long-term impact. My goals are to continue promoting economic opportunity, support policies that help families and small businesses thrive, and ensure the government remains accountable and effective. I am committed to working collaboratively to address the challenges facing our state while protecting the values and opportunities that make our communities strong. Most of all, I want to keep the Jefferson County legislative delegation together for the greater good of the county. I am endorsed by all three of the sitting representatives.
Robertson: Founding Father John Adams stated, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.” Voters should elect me because I love and understand the structure of our constitutional republic, because I am a moral, God-fearing individual who will place the interests of my constituents above checks from lobbyists and PACs, and because of my experience as a leader in Missouri’s conservative grassroots movement for over 10 years. My goals if elected are to 1) restore the Founding Fathers’ vision of limited government to Missouri, government whose sole purpose is to protect and preserve the inalienable rights of the people, which come from God, and 2) return government to serving the interests of the citizens, not special interests and lobbyists. Ninety-five percent of my donations come from everyday citizens, not PACs and special interests.
As federal COVID-19 funding runs dry, the Legislature will be facing tighter budgets. What should Missouri’s funding priorities be and where should cuts be made?
Casteel: As the extra COVID money from Washington dries up, we have to get back to basics and live within our means. Our top priority should be funding neighborhood schools, law enforcement, roads and essential utilities like clean water and affordable electricity so Missouri families can feel safe, send their kids to strong schools, and travel on dependable infrastructure. I will also protect core healthcare services for seniors, veterans and people with disabilities. To balance the budget, I would first target temporary programs created with one-time federal dollars, excess agency overhead and tax credits that don’t clearly benefit Missouri jobs or families. I will fight to ensure Missouri tax dollars are spent on true essentials, not new wishlist projects or political pet projects in Jefferson City.
Robertson: The Missouri budget has nearly doubled from $27 billion to $51 billion in the last 10 years. I support doing a serious DOGE program on the state budget. Go through line by line and cut out what is wasteful. If I asked a room of Missouri citizens whether there is 20 percent waste, fraud and abuse in the state budget, at least 90 percent would agree there is. The citizens know what the problem is -- it is up to the legislators to reflect the will of the citizens and streamline the budget. The sole purpose of government is to protect the inalienable rights of the people. Any government program not serving that purpose should be ended. Over the last few years, approximately 50 percent of the Missouri budget has been funded by the federal government. Federal money has strings attached, which means Missouri cannot function as a sovereign state.
Missourians will have the opportunity to vote on whether to eliminate the state income tax and allow the Legislature to increase sales taxes to make up the lost revenue. Do you believe increasing sales tax would be preferable to keeping state income taxes? Why or why not?
Casteel: I support the goal of phasing out Missouri’s individual income tax, but I’m aware that this plan must be handled carefully and transparently. Ending the income tax blows a multibilliondollar hole in the budget, and the proposal assumes we can fill it with roughly a 2 percent sales tax increase, a broader sales tax base, and more revenue from the over 40 million visitors who come to our state each year. I’m open to that concept because it lets Missourians keep more of each paycheck and asks visitors to help fund our roads, schools, utilities and public safety. But before locking it in, I want clear numbers, a detailed plan for negotiating with the hundreds of currently exempt categories, and strong protections so working families, seniors and small businesses are not left holding the bag.
Robertson: Missouri has a spending problem more than a taxation problem. First, reduce the bloated state budget. State income tax revenue is $8.5 billion while state sales tax revenue is $3.3 billion, totaling $11.8 billion. I think most citizens agree there is at least 20 percent waste, fraud and abuse in the Missouri budget. Twenty percent of $51 billion (the current state budget) is $10.2 billion. If we cut 20 percent of the budget, then we could eliminate the income tax and keep the state sales tax the same or even reduce it. Our Founding Fathers would be appalled at the size of our state government and the levels of all of our various taxes – income tax, sales tax, personal property tax, property tax, gas tax, etc. Make our government smaller and reduce taxes for all of us – less government to fund requires less taxation.
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