Local candidates share views at dinner

Nancy Elkthunder, right, an Independent candidate for Callaway County Collector, speaks during a Thursday evening candidate forum. The event was arranged by Guiding Light Baptist Church in the wake of the cancellation of planned debates due to candidates declining to participate.
Nancy Elkthunder, right, an Independent candidate for Callaway County Collector, speaks during a Thursday evening candidate forum. The event was arranged by Guiding Light Baptist Church in the wake of the cancellation of planned debates due to candidates declining to participate.

A number of candidates gathered Wednesday night to share their views over dinner.

The candidate forum was hosted by Guiding Light Baptist Church in Fulton, with City Council member Steve Moore providing a delicious dinner of ham, veggies and yams.

"When I get a hot meal, I appreciate it," said Katy Geppert, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Congress' 3rd District. "Usually forums like this just have cookies."

With the election barely a month away, many candidates' campaigns have shifted into high gear. The Wednesday forum provided an informal atmosphere for candidates in attendance to share their views. All candidates were invited, and those who attended were given five minutes to speak and answer questions.

Candidates in attendance included Geppert; Lisa Buhr, a Democrat running for state representative of Missouri's 49th District; Democrat Susie Ferguson and Republican incumbent Gary Jungermann, running for presiding county commissioner; Independent candidate Nancy Elkthunder, running for county collector; and Democrat Ayanna Shivers, running for Missouri Senate District 10.

Elkthunder, Ferguson and Jungermann participated Sept. 27 in a debate hosted by the Fulton Sun. Their views and key campaign issues can be found at: bit.ly/2Rphy8J. The other candidates were scheduled to debate Thursday, but the debates were canceled after other candidates declined to participate.

Candidate views

Geppert is running against incumbent Blaine Leutkemeyer, a Republican, and Donald V. Stolle, a Libertarian.

She works in environmental testing and health technology, and also volunteers to mentor young women as an advisor for Alpha Omicron Pi. Geppert is also a mother of two.

"They're a big reason I'm in this fight," she said. "As a district, as a state and as a nation, I think we can do much better for each other."

She cited health care as a key issue.

"As we've seen Republicans chipping away at the Affordable Care Act, I've heard people in my district saying 'Please, save our health care,'" Geppert said.

Access to affordable care, especially for mental illness and addiction, is an issue close to her heart.

"I lost my dad to alcoholism because treatment wasn't affordable," she said. "We need to make sure that when people are ready to seek help, it's available to them."

When it comes to women's health issues, she said decisions women make on pregnancy care should be between them and their doctors - not them and the government. Geppert also pointed out Planned Parenthood provides many services besides abortion, including testing for certain cancers and STDs for men and women.

"When they're talking about defunding Planned Parenthood, they're talking about defunding a myriad of health services for the community," she said.

Shivers also touched on healthcare during her talk. She's running against incumbent Republican Jeannie Riddle. Shivers pointed to the attempt local officials made, not too long ago, to keep the hospital in Fulton from closing.

"It's the result of Missouri not expanding Medicaid," she said. "It's hurt rural America. America promises life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. How can we ensure these fundamental rights without good, affordable healthcare?"

She and other candidates focused on a proposed right-to-work law, which Missouri voters rejected in August.

Buhr pointed out while her opponent, Republican incumbent Travis Fitzwater, supports right-to-work, his constituents do not. Nor does Buhr, whose family has been involved in unions for four generations.

"(Representatives) are supposed to be there for you," she said. "I will back constituent interests, even when they don't agree with mine."

Buhr supports labor reform in general. She has worked at the state Capitol for 18 years, and said she's seen fellow employees suffer after the Legislature removed certain protections formerly given under the state Merit System.

"It's turned every position into kind of a political statement," she said. "Each new person who comes in cleans house and fires everyone."

Shivers and Geppert also voiced opposition to the right-to-work act.

The final major topic cited by multiple candidates was public education.

"I see public school as one of the great equalizers in the nation," Geppert said. "I want to expand public education to include pre-kindergarten."

She, Buhr and Shivers all pointed to the importance of increasing funding for public schools.

"In my district, there are four school districts that can only afford to operate four days a week," Geppert said.

That number includes North Callaway R-1, which cited budget reasons when switching to a four-day school week in fall 2017.

"The state government lowered the foundation formula so they can say they've fully funded it," Buhr said. "I've seen the way they do things, and it stinks."

Shivers closed the evening out by encouraging attendees to get out the vote.

"We have a lot of work to do," she said. "It doesn't cost you anything to pick up the phone, call 20 people and ask them if they're going to vote."