Candidates challenge Graves for U.S. rep seat

By Jenna Wilson

The race is on for candidates looking to represent Missouri’s 6th congressional district and take incumbent Sam Graves long-standing position in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Graves, a Republican native of Tarkio in the state’s northwest corner, is running for the 12th time and has held the seat for more than 23 years.

“I think I’m very close to what people want in terms of representation and I think that’s the reason why I’ve been able to be reelected,” Graves said. “I’m very grounded and there isn’t a weekend that I don’t get back to the district.”

Graves serves on the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Having an extensive understanding of rural living, one of his main priorities is to continue impacting the economy and communities by addressing infrastructure needs.

“As chairman of the transportation committee, it’s always important to me to find those dollars for the state of Missouri,” Graves said. “And we’ll continue to work on that in the next Congress. If I am reelected, we’ll be doing the reauthorization the of highway bill and I’ll continue to look for those dollars so that we can get projects done throughout north Missouri.”

St. Joseph native and Democrat Pam May is running for office for the first time and said her decision to do so came from concern with the standard of care for women in Missouri.

“The Missouri Legislature has decided it is OK to deny treatment to women in certain situations when it comes to reproductive health care, and that just has to be reversed,” she said.

In addition, May said it’s time for a change in the political discourse as Graves has held this seat for decades.

“I’ve heard over and over again that the people feel like they are not represented in Washington DC in Congress and that their voice is not heard,” she added. “Our current representative votes again women, workers and against the environment, So, I’m trying to show people that I am connected to the district and I will listen to their concerns.”

Andy Maidment is a Libertarian third-party candidate also running for Missouri’s 6th Congressional district. Maidment couldn’t be reached for an interview, but he wants to reduce government reach and regulation, according to his campaign site.

Missouri voters will have the option to vote for the candidate of their choice on Nov. 5.