Area legislative candidates file as election season gets underway

Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, is asked questions about University of Missouri funding Tuesday while he waits in line to file to run as an incumbent to the Missouri Senate.
Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, is asked questions about University of Missouri funding Tuesday while he waits in line to file to run as an incumbent to the Missouri Senate.

On the first day of filing, elected officials from across Missouri stood in a line that snaked around the third floor of the James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center, waiting to get inside the Secretary of State's office.

All state House seats and half of the state Senate's 34 seats will be filled in the Nov. 8 general election.

Two of those standing in line Tuesday morning were House of Representative members from Mid-Missouri, waiting to place their names on the November ballot. Rep. Travis Fitzwater, R-Holts Summit, will campaign for his second term to represent regions of Callaway County and a northern portion of Cole County, just northwest of Jefferson City.

"This has been a good experience," he said. "I think I've been effective in representing the district. I've been asked by a number of people to seek re-election, so it seemed like an obvious choice for where we're going."

In 2014, Fitzwater defeated Gracia Backer, a former House representative for 18 years, to earn the 49th District seat. He won with nearly 62 percent of the vote. As of the close of Tuesday's filing, no Democrats have filed for the spot.

If he's re-elected, Fitzwater said a priority in his second term will be bettering Missouri's business climate.

"I think we just keep working on the issues that we keep talking about since I've been here - making a good business environment and ensuring that businesses aren't regulated to the extent that they can't do what they're best at," Fitzwater said.

Rep. Rocky Miller, R-Lake Ozark, filed to represent the 124th District for a third term. House representatives are limited to four terms.

"It really has to do with service," Miller said, referring to why he decided to run again. "I feel like I still have more to give my community, and that's important to me."

Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, said he intends to file next week for his fourth term representing the 60th District.

The local lawmaker has been busy since Saturday when he and his wife, Jane, welcomed a baby girl into their now family of six. He detailed the importance of his dad duties on his blog in a post titled "Why I Won't Be Standing In Line This Morning."

"While others are standing in line, I'll be dropping our oldest off at school like I do every school day and then replacing mom's job of dropping the younger ones at preschool," he wrote. "Then, I have more important things to do this morning than stand in line. I'll be trading the chance to be the top name on the ballot for changing dirty diapers at home with Jane and our newborn."

He continued, "It's going to be a sweet and slow week in our house with as little technology and distractions as possible."

Jefferson City resident Kevin Nelson, a Democrat, filed for Barnes' seat.

In the afternoon, Rep. Mike Bernskoetter, R-Jefferson City, and Rep. David Wood, R-Versailles, submitted paperwork to maintain their seats in the 59th and 58th districts, respectively. Bernskoetter, the majority caucus secretary, said he wants to continue on General Assembly-wide concerns: job creation, protecting the unborn and creating a better environment for small businesses. If he wins re-election, it will be his fourth and final term in the House.

Wood, chairman of the Joint Committee on Education, said he plans to support education initiatives as well as children services.

"I enjoy what I do," he said. "I enjoy serving the 58th District, and hopefully they will continue to let me serve the district. It's a job application every two years."

A retiree out of Bland, a city with a population of more than 500, is running for the 62nd District, which covers portions of seven counties. Bruce Sassmann, who ran his family funeral business, filed for the seat as a Republican.

Rep. Tom Hurst, R-Meta, is currently serving his second term as the 62nd District representative, and he filed to maintain his seat Tuesday afternoon.

Sassmann served as Bland's mayor and alderman in the past, and he's served on committees for the Meramec Regional Development Corporation, Gasconade County Industrial Development Authority and Quail Forever, a conservation group.

Sassmann said he's a conservative and a strong supporter of the conservation community, adding he wants to "protect and conserve our natural resources. The Bland resident said he wants to see a surplus included in the state's budget and less dependency on welfare.

"I think it would be better if we depend on each other and not the government," he said.

He is a graduate of Missouri State University, formerly Southern Missouri State University, and holds a degree in biology and chemistry. Sassmann also holds degrees in funeral services.

Reps. Caleb Jones, R-Columbia, and Justin Alferman, R-Hermann, are also vying to keep their seats.

Also Tuesday afternoon, Columbia state Reps. Stephen Webber, a Democrat, and Caleb Rowden, a Republican, filed for the 19th District state Senate seat currently held by Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, who can't run again because of term limits.

Schaefer filed Tuesday for the attorney general's office.

Mid-Missouri's other three Senate districts won't be on the ballot until 2018.

Bob Watson of the News Tribune staff contributed information to this story.