Springfield Candidates Lead Democratic Ticket for Missouri Governor | KOLR

MISSOURI — In the race for Missouri governor, two candidates from Springfield are at the top of the Democratic ticket.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade and businessman Mike Hamra are on the ballot on August 6.

“We need a government that puts Missourians first and really makes sure that we’re meeting our needs,” Quade said.

“I think it’s really important that we get a governor who actually focuses on what matters in the state of Missouri, instead of playing politics and playing with people’s lives,” Hamra said.

Quade says her background as a Democrat in a Republican-majority House will help her bridge the political divide.

“As far as my governing style, it will be exactly the same, seeing where we can work across the divides to find compromise, because that’s not necessarily a bad word, even though people like to think it is and do things that really invest in the people of Missouri,” Quade said.

Hamra says that if elected, he will rely on his experience as an entrepreneur.

“These are the kinds of issues I’ve been dealing with for the last 22 years, bringing people together, bringing all the stakeholders together, sitting down and figuring out what’s going to work and what’s not going to work,” Hamra said. “And as governor, I would do the exact same thing.”

One of the biggest issues facing Missouri voters is a referendum initiative that would allow abortion if passed in November.

“I’m so grateful to the groups and the 380,000 Missourians who signed the petition asking the government to leave their doctors’ offices,” Quade said. “You know, politicians have no business making these decisions on behalf of doctors and patients.”

“The biggest issue that we all face that affects our state is the fact that we have this extreme abortion ban in the state of Missouri,” Hamra said. “If voters elect me as their next governor, I will be a governor who will make sure that we protect those rights going forward.”

Quade says she is running for governor to represent the working class.

“As someone who won elections as a Democrat in southwest Missouri, I have my yard signs right next to Donald Trump’s yard signs, in the same yard. Not necessarily because we agree on every issue, but because we agree on the core issues that affect people every day,” Quade said.

Hamra says voters have told him they are tired of politicians not focusing on what really matters.

“I have a long history of bringing people together, even when there’s resistance, even when there are barriers in my path, I know how to move things forward,” Hamra said. “And I don’t stop at the first barrier. I don’t stop at the first person who says no. I work through those obstacles. I work with people and I make them successful.”

OzarksFirst also raised questions about Kansas lawmakers’ attempt to lure Kansas City chiefs and members of the royal family to their side of the state line.

“I’m going to do everything I can to make sure we keep the Chiefs, including the Royals, in the state of Missouri,” Hamra said. “But it’s also got to be in the best interest of the people of Missouri, we can’t give away millions of dollars and not see anything come back to the state of Missouri.”

“I think we need to look at something that doesn’t just save billionaires at the expense of ordinary taxpayers, but we need to put something in place that makes these guys want to stay here,” Quade said.