Jason Smith faces plenty of obstacles in his bid to return for a third term in representing District 8 in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Smith first was seated in Congress after he won a special election to fill a vacancy created when Jo Ann Emerson resigned, then was re-elected to a full two-year term in 2014.
To be re-elected, Smith must defeat three challengers in the Republican primary election Aug. 2 – Todd Mahn of De Soto, Philip S. Smith of Gatewood and Hal Brown of Cape Girardeau.
Philip Smith and Brown did not return Leader candidate surveys.
The winner of the Republican primary will run against Democrat Dave Cowell of Farmington and Libertarian Jonathan Shell of Fredericktown in the November general election.
District 8 covers most of western and southern Jefferson County at its northernmost point, and extends south to the state line.
The pay for U.S. representative is $174,000 a year, plus allowances. The term is for two years.
MAHN, 46, lists his address as 900 N. Main, De Soto, the same address as his business, Mahn Funeral Home. He and his wife, Rita, have a son. In addition to the De Soto funeral home, Mahn owns Mahn Twin City Chapel in Festus and Peaceful Ridge Cemetery and Mausoleum. He is a 1988 graduate of De Soto High School who received an associate degree in funeral service from Mid America College of Funeral Service in Jeffersonville, Ind. He was appointedto a five-year term to the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors in 2007 and served two years as its chairman. He also was chairman of the committee that brought the Vietnam Veterans Traveling Wall to Festus earlier this year. He was president of the Mount Zion Cemetery Association and has been a member and president of the VFW Post 1831 men’s auxiliary and the De Soto Rotary Club.
Social media: Website: www.mahnforcongress.com Facebook: Todd Mahn for Congress
SMITH, 36, lists his address as P.O. Box 1324, Cape Girardeau. He is single. He is a lawyer, real estate agent and owner of a family farm. He received a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics and business administration from the University of Missouri and a law degree from Oklahoma City University. He served in the state House of Representatives from 2005-2013 and was a majority whip and speaker pro tempore.
Social media: Website: electjasonsmith.com Facebook: Jason Smith Twitter: @JasonSmithMO
Why do you want to serve in Congress?
Mahn: My goals in Congress are to:
1. Cultivate an atmosphere to create jobs.
2. Work to eliminate terrorism.
3. Balance a budget that includes paying down the national debt.
4. Dismantle the political corruption in Washington.
5. Campaign finance reform.
6. Rebuild our depleted military.
7. Improve care for veterans.
8. Protect Second Amendment rights.
9. As a pro-life candidate, protect the unborn.
Smith: The 8th District has been my family’s home for more than generations. It is home to all my friends and neighbors. Serving allows me to fight for the values that make up the heart of rural America and this district – a smaller, less intrusive federal government, more personal freedoms and protecting farms and families. I want to make sure that the way of life we know in south-central and southeast Missouri is preserved for generations to come, that it is not eroded by the onslaught of a liberal agenda that has empowered government. We need a federal government that is accountable to and works for the people of this great nation, not the other way around.
What makes you the best person for the job?
Mahn: I am anti-establishment and will not be bought. I have 25 years of running my own business and I can apply my expertise in helping others.
Smith: I was born and raised here in Missouri. The people who call it home mean everything to me; serving them is an honor. As the son of a mechanic and a factory worker, I know it takes hard work to overcome obstacles. I didn’t have the typical origins for a congressman. The early part of my life I lived in a trailer, but I worked hard in high school, paid my way through college and became the first member of my family to graduate. When I started my own small business, I became frustrated with a suffocating government. I carry that anger with me today and will continue to champion policies that allow small businesses to grow and prosper.
What is your top priority issue? If elected, how would you tackle this issue? Be specific.
Mahn: Jobs. I would cultivate an atmosphere to help create jobs and bring jobs to the district and country. I would work to eliminate terrorism and dismantle corruption in Washington.
Smith: Poverty reform remains a challenge and focus of mine. I believe Americans want to work and want a hand up, not a handout, to get there. There is so much waste within our current welfare system that the needed resources are not getting where they need to go. The poverty trap and fear of losing benefits incentivizes folks to stay on a support system versus go for that next raise at work. Not only do we need structural reforms, but we need a growing economy that puts more people back to work. That is accomplished through a reduction in the tax and regulatory burden, making employers want to invest, grow and hire here in the U.S., creating demand for the American worker.
What does your candidacy offer Jefferson County voters specifically?
Mahn: Honesty and integrity
Smith: It is an honor to serve all 30 counties of the 8th District. I am committed to dedicating my time and energy to making each resident know they have a voice they can call their own in Congress. My position on the Ways and Means Committee, the oldest standing and most powerful committee in Congress, provides this district with an important advocate in making flat and fair our burdensome and complex tax code. I am humbled to be the first person in Missouri since Dick Gephardt and Kenny Hulshof to serve on the Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over all tax, trade and health care policy.
What is your single best accomplishment in public service so far?
Mahn: While I served on the state Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, I was a part of bringing down the biggest heist in the history of the funeral business. I helped make sure claims would be paid and funeral homes didn’t close their doors. This was the biggest catastrophe in the history of funeral service worldwide. No other former, current or candidate for elected office has accomplished this task.
Smith: Language I helped author last year prevented a 2,000 percent tax increase on our nation’s farmers, allowing them to buy more equipment and property and providing for our nation and the world. I am proud I authored the Enforce Act, which became law, that protects American workers from unfair trade practices by other countries, namely China. It was incredibly rewarding to help secure the final funding for the Cape Girardeau flood wall and then see it completed and serve its purpose. The first bills passed out of Congress this year I authored, including legislation getting rid of 175,000 pages of outdated and burdensome federal regulations and a bill eliminating $500 million of unjustified spending by the IRS and returning it to American taxpayers.