A longtime politician and a physician have their eye on the 4th Congressional District seat.
The district spans 24 counties in west-central Missouri, including Camden, Morgan and Moniteau counties. The elected candidate will join the 435 members of Congress, earning a base salary of $174,000 for a four-year term.
Republican incumbent Vicky Hartzler joined the U.S. Congress in 2010 and is running against Democratic newcomer Gordon Christensen.
The two come from very different backgrounds. Hartzler and her husband live on a working farm near Harrisonville in Cass County, and she was a public school teacher. Her political career began in 1994 as a state representative.
Since becoming a member of Congress, Hartzler said they've re-prioritized and cut back on federal spending, but there's more to accomplish.
"I haven't completed the mission that people sent me on in 2010 to pull back from the fiscal cliff," she said. "We've cut spending, but we need to get the economy growing again, start paying off debt while prioritizing spending based on what's constitutional."
Christensen lives in Columbia with his wife and spent the majority of his career as a physician and researcher with a specialty in tropical medicine. During his time employed at a Veteran's Affairs hospital, he became well-known as the whistle-blower who reported patient abuse.
He said the political warfare between Congress and the president has been destructive and has stalled issues critical to the nation.
"I don't want to sit in my ivory tower and refuse to cooperate with Republicans," he said. "I want to get things done, and I'm more than happy to come up with common ground or exchange favors to get things done. Washington has got to get back to work. That's what the country needs."
Libertarian candidate Mark Bliss will also be on the ballot, but he did not return the News Tribune's requests for an interview.
While Hartzler and Christensen differed on some of their top issues, they each listed the economy among their priorities.
Hartzler said the government's expansive regulations are creating barriers for companies wanting to expand. The Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obamacare, plays a role in that. Health insurance has become too expensive for companies and individuals.
She also advocated for tax reform to make taxes lower for families and businesses.
Christensen said the war on poverty has failed. The upper class has thrived while the middle class is shrinking and struggling to survive. Businesses in the district are disappearing, as are family farms. College tuition has also become unaffordable. Graduates are having trouble climbing out from under their loan debt because rates are so high, he said.
They each said the federal government is failing Americans but have different strategies and priorities on how to address it.
Vicky Hartzler
Everywhere she goes, Hartzler hears stories of federal government overreach that's hurting people, which is why it's something she'd like to resolve if re-elected.
In terms of federal overreach, Obamacare is one of the main complaints she hears from constituents.
"Just (the other week) a woman said, 'Please, please appeal Obamacare because my husband and I can't afford health insurance anymore and we're mandated to have it,'" she said. "When you hear stories like that, it just breaks your heart. We have to stop this law that's hurting people and change it to something that's affordable and accessible."
However, it's not just health care, she said.
"The federal government has extended its tentacles of control in our lives in many areas," she said. "With our school lunch program, we need to allow more local control of what's served to kids. There's an amicus brief asking to support local schools in Virginia so they can determine appropriate accommodations for students with gender identity issues, instead of the federal government deciding how to handle it."
National security is also one of her main concerns because of terrorist attacks occurring worldwide.
Hartzler said she's been working to restore cuts to military spending so the U.S. will be ready to challenge any attacks on home or foreign soil. Fort Leonard Wood and Whiteman Air Force Base are in the 4th District, and she's been working closely with commanders to ensure they have the resources they need, she said.
"It's one of the few things we're supposed to do - provide for the common defense," she said. "Individually we can't do it, but collectively we can. I feel passionately about ensuring a strong national defense."
Hartzler said she wants to get America back on track, and there's more work that needs to be done.
"People want a fighter, and they're tired of the status quo in Washington," she said. "They know I've been fighting for them and am one of them. I have the pulse for concerns that are out there. People want Washington to get out of their lives and quit hurting them through politics."
Gordon Christensen
As a former physician, healthcare is in his wheelhouse and an area the nation desperately needs to reform, he said.
Essential drugs have become too costly for people to afford, he said. The sudden price increase for the EpiPen is a prime example. Christensen called it "corporate terrorism" when companies jack up prices for drugs essential for life.
"They're basically using the patient as a hostage for taking ransom or extortion for money," Christensen said. "The federal government should take strong action and haul them up for review. If that doesn't shame them into reducing their prices to a reasonable amount, I would go so far as to claim an essential drug for life as property of the people for eminent domain."
People should be allowed to purchase drugs outside of the United States where drugs are safe and less expensive, he said.
If elected, he also wants to reform the Veterans Affairs department. He became a well-known whistle-blower after reporting patient abuse at the VA hospital where he was working. It created a firestorm with Congress, but he believes the VA is still riddled with problems.
Congressional review hasn't been used often enough to resolve some of the issues within the department.
"I would presume that if I were elected I'd be placed on one of the committees and would exercise a very close scrutiny of VA activity," he said. "As a physician and someone employed by the VA and has seen the VA from top to bottom, who has familiarity with all their tricks, I could be very effective in cutting through some of the nonsense and reduce the bureaucracy."
Christensen said he couldn't be more different than Hartlzer. Though he never aspired to be a politician, he drifted into it during the VA scandal.
"People didn't fully appreciate how powerful my story is," he said. "(Hartzler) doesn't have a story like mine. My back story is persuasive. She was a teacher, but there are some 80 educators in Congress. I think I offer a lot more despite my political party. I think it's time for change. I think it's time to put a doctor in the house."