Audience members - including legislators, interest groups, candidate supporters and the general public - packed Missouri Farm Bureau for Tuesday evening's Republican gubernatorial debate.
With Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, moderating, the five candidates answered six questions regarding entrepreneurship, broadband and health care in rural areas, transportation, attracting out-of-state businesses and state-employee wages.
Echoed among the candidates, who come from political, business and military backgrounds, was the support for right-to-work legislation, a measure Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed and the General Assembly failed to override in the past two veto sessions. Right-to-work would regulate union agreements.
Kehoe told the News Tribune job creation and growth continues to be an issue for Missouri, a state lagging in that area following the recession. He said the only way to accomplish economic development goals for the state is to have a Republican governor joining together with the Republican majority in the General Assembly.
Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, who has endorsed candidate Eric Greitens, also said right-to-work will be the priority issue if the state were to elect a Republican governor.
"I think right-to-work is the No. 1 and most obvious (issue)," he said after the debate. "I also think the current governor has no respect for the rule of law, and any candidates on the stage will respect the limits of gubernatorial and government authority that the current governor has no regard for."
Kehoe also said he would look forward to working with a governor who upholds "Republican principles" and "conservative values," such as religious liberties, anti-abortion causes and Second Amendment rights.
"As we move through the process here, if we could be successful in bringing a Republican to the governor's office, I believe both houses are anxious to work with someone who understands those values," he said. "Being able to work with that person, he or she, would be welcomed in the Capitol. I think we could move Missouri forward in many, many avenues."
All of the candidates agreed transportation is a priority at hand, and the popular response to resolving funding issues is reallocating money to support the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT).
Ron Fitzwater, chairman of the Cole County Republican Central Committee, said the next governor will have to address transportation issues right away.
"We have to figure out how to address transportation," Fitzwater said. "A lot of candidates suggested reallocating funds but it will require dollars from somewhere."
He said the bridges and roads in Jefferson City are well taken care of for the most part, but there are bridges and roads in other parts of the state that are "crumbling." Missouri has the seventh largest highway system in the nation, according to MoDOT, but is the 47th lowest funded.
Fitzwater said the questions could have addressed education more, but many of the questions catered to the business groups dominating the crowd. Associated Industries of Missouri, Missouri chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business and Missouri Farm Bureau co-sponsored the event.
Ward 2 Councilman Rick Mihalevich said he didn't hear a lot of difference among the candidates. He also would have liked to have heard a question about education.
He was particularly interested in the transportation funding issue.
"I didn't see a solution to transportation that I was looking for," Mihalevich said.
Mark Rehagen, a data management employee for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, said he appreciated the honest debate and responses that were given. He came because he was interested in economic development, which was addressed in several of the questions.
"I was satisfied with their responses," he said. "It was a fair and open debate."
He said at this time he isn't in favor of a specific candidate.
Columbia resident Tom Mandenhall, who donned a full "Donald Trump for President" outfit, was interested in what the candidates had to say and see if they would actually answer the questions at hand.
He said the candidates seemed to talk around several of the questions and avoided giving a direct answer. However, he said several had good ideas in terms of how to boost the economy and resolve transportation issues.
"We're broke and they know it," he said. "Transportation was a big issue and they talked about it and I was satisfied with their answers."