While the sweltering heat is a reminder of summer's peak, it also means August is near and with it is Missouri's primary election. This year, the primary will be Aug. 6 and includes a stacked race for governor as Gov. Mike Parson winds down his tenure, as well as other highly contested statewide races.
In Missouri, the primary election trims down the candidates to determine who appears as each party's nominee in the general election in November.
Important dates to know for the Missouri primary
Absentee voting began June 25 and is ongoing until Election Day.
July 10 is the last day to register to vote.
July 23 is when no excuse absentee voting begins.
July 24 is the last day to request an absentee ballot by mail. Requirements for obtaining an absentee ballot can be found on the Missouri Secretary of State’s website. Mail-in ballots must be voted, notarized, returned and received in the local election authority's office before 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Aug. 5 is the last day to vote absentee.
Aug. 6 is election day. Remember to bring an appropriate ID. Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. If you are in line at 7 p.m. when the polls close, you are still allowed to vote if you stay in line.
Who's on the ballot?
Here are the candidates running to represent Missouri in federal offices:
- U.S. Senator: Josh Hawley (R), Karla May (D), December L. Harmon (D), Lucas Kunce (D), Mita Biswas (D), and W. C. Young (L)
- U.S. House 7th District: Camille Lombardi-Olive (R), Audrey Richards (R), Eric Burlison (R), John Adair (R), Missi Hesketh (D), and Kevin Craig (L)
- U.S. House 4th District: Mark Alford (R), Jeanette Cass (D), Mike McCafree (D), and Thomas Holbrook (L)
Here are the Republican candidates running in statewide races:
- Governor: Darrell Leon McClanahan III, Jeremy Gundel, Bill Eigel, Robert James Olson, Jay Ashcroft, Mike Kehoe, Chris Wright, Darren L. Grant, Amber Thomsen
- Lieutenant Governor: Holly Rehder, Dave Wasinger, Lincoln Hough, Paul Berry III, Tim Baker, Matthew E. Porter
- Secretary of State: Valentina Gomez, Shane Schoeller, Denny Hoskins, Adam J. Schwadron, Jamie Corley, Dean Plocher, Mary Elizabeth Coleman, Mike Carter
- State Treasurer: Cody Smith, Andrew Koenig, Lori Rook, Vivek Malek, Tina Goodrick, Karan Pujji
- Attorney General: Will Scharf and Andrew Bailey
Here are the Democratic candidates running in statewide races:
- Governor: Eric Morrison, Crystal Quade, Sheryl Gladney, Hollis, L. Laster, Mike Hamra
- Lieutenant Governor: Richard Brown and Anastasia Syes
- Secretary of State: Monique Williams, Barbara Phifer, Haley Jacobson
- State Treasurer: Mark Osmack
- Attorney General: Elad Jonathan Gross
Here are the Libertarian candidates running in statewide races:
- Governor: Bill Slantz
- Lieutenant Governor: Ken Iverson
- Secretary of State: Carl Herman Freese
- State Treasurer: John A. Hartwig, Jr.
- Attorney General: Ryan L. Munro
Legislative district maps can be found on the Secretary of State website to see which district you reside in and the issues that will appear on your ballot. The following candidates are running for state representative seats. Since most of these have only one candidate per party running in the primary, those primaries will be uncontested, with opposing party candidates facing off at the November general election.
- District 129: John F. Black (R) and Louise Hansen (D)
- District 130: Bishop Davidson (R) and Leslie Jones (D)
- District 131: Bill Owen (R) and Ashley Cossins (D)
- District 132: Stephanos Freeman (R), Bernadean McAfee (R), and Jeremy Dean (D)
- District 133: Melanie Stinnettt (R) and Derrick Nowlin (D)
- District 134: Alex Riley (R)
- District 135: Michael Hasty (R) and Betsy Fogle (D)
- District 136: Jim Robinette (R) and Stephanie Hein (D)
- District 137: Darin Chappell (R) and Bryce Lockwood (D)
- District 138: Tom Franiak (R) and Burt Whaley (R). (Since there is no Democratic primary for this seat, the candidate elected in the primary will take the seat)
- District 139: Bob Titus (R) and Mark Gray (D)
The following candidates are running for state Senate seats:
- District 29: Mike Moon (R), Susan Haralson (R), and Ron Monnig (D)
Most Greene County offices feature incumbents running without a challenger. The following races are of note:
- Greene County Sheriff: Jim Arnott (R) and Ben McMains (R). Because there is no Democratic challenger, the primary election will be the determining one for the race.
- Commissioner 2nd District: John Russell (R) and Tim McGrady (D). Both party primaries are uncontested, meaning incumbent Russell will face challenger McGrady on November's ballot.
Those within the Logan-Rogersville Fire Protection District will also have a question about a tax levy that asks voters to decide whether the Board of Directors should be authorized to levy an additional 25 cents on $100 of assessed property value to support the fire protection district.
Which races are uncontested?
In Greene County, races for assessor, treasurer, public administrator and District 1 County Commissioner are uncontested. All of these roles will be occupied by those currently serving those offices.
In the Missouri legislature, House District 134, which includes Battlefield, will also be uncontested with only incumbent Alex Riley running for the seat in the Republican primary.
How do I find my polling place?
The Greene County Clerk's Office website offers a searchable map of polling locations. Voters can check their registration and find their polling place also on the Secretary of State website.
Do I need to be registered with a party to pull that ballot?
No, the caucus rules used for the presidential primaries earlier this year do not apply. Voters can choose which party's primary ballot they would like to pull at the polls.
What statewide ballot measures will be on the August ballot?
Amendment 1, Childcare Tax Exemption: This ballot measure asks voters whether the state should allow places that provide childcare outside of the child's home to be exempt from property taxes. A "yes" would exempt property taxes while a "no" would mean childcare facilities continue to be assessed and have to pay property taxes.
Amendment 4, Kansas City Police Spending: Also on the ballot will be a question regarding Kansas City's spending on its police department, the only city in the state that does not have local control of its police department and is instead controlled by a Board of Police Commissioners appointed by the governor.
The ballot measure asks voters whether Kansas City should be required to increase the minimum funding for the police department from 20% of its general revenue to 25%, roughly an increase of $38.7 million. The ballot language notes that the city previously provided the 25% level of funding voluntarily.
This question already appeared and received voter support in 2022, but the Missouri Supreme Court ordered a new election for the question after Kansas City's mayor challenged the ballot language that said that "state and local governmental entities estimate no additional costs or savings related to this proposal."
Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at mmieze@news-leader.com.
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