Republicans hold onto Missouri House seat by electing husband of rep who died in office
Kansas City-area Democrats hoping to flip several Republican seats in the Missouri General Assembly came up short on Tuesday.
Republicans held onto their House District 34 seat in a Jackson County race that pit Democrat Chris Hager against Republican Rick Roeber for the position held by Roeber’s wife, Rebecca, from 2015 until her death in 2019.
With all precincts reporting, Roeber received 51% of the vote to Hager’s 49%.
Two of Roeber’s adult children recently went public with accusations that he physically and sexually abused them when they were young — allegations that Roeber has strongly denied. Last month, a bipartisan group of lawmakers called for him to withdraw from the race.
Roeber describes himself on his campaign website as “unapolegetically conservative,” an ordained pastor and a former chaplain. Hager, a longtime Lee’s Summit resident who works in the information technology field, was a political newcomer whose platform included fully funding public schools and implementing Medicaid expansion.
In House District 21, Democratic Rep. Robert Sauls squeaked past Republican Vicki Riley by a 25-vote margin. With all precincts reporting, Sauls received 7,634 votes to Riley’s 7,609, or 49.99% to 49.83%.
Sauls, a former Jackson County prosecuting attorney and a public defender, was elected to his first two-year term in November 2018. Riley, a retired teacher, ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2012 and 2016.
In House District 14, Democrats maintained control of the seat they took in 2018 when Matt Sain upset Republican Rep. Kevin Corlew.
Democrat Ashley Aune defeated Republican Eric Holmes by a margin of 54% to 46%.
Sain decided in March not to run for re-election.
Aune, a longtime Kansas City resident, owns and operates a marketing agency and has done media work for many candidates in the past.
Senate District 7
Two-term Democratic Rep. Greg Razer glided to victory over Green Party challenger Nathan Kline in the Senate District 7 race Tuesday night.
Razer received 81% of the vote while Kline received 18%, according to election results from the Missouri Secretary of State. Razer will fill the seat of Democrat Jason Holsman, who is leaving office because of term limits.
A lifelong Missourian, Razer is one of a handful of openly gay legislators in the General Assembly.
Senate District 17
Democratic Sen. Lauren Arthur defeated Republican Mickey Younghanz in the race for Senate District 17.
With all precincts reporting, Arthur received 53% of the vote, while Younghanz garnered 47%.
Arthur is a former state representative who in 2018 handily defeated Republican Rep. Kevin Corlew in a Northland special election for the seat held by Ryan Silvey.
House District 13
Platte County Republicans overcame a setback suffered in August when Rep. Vic Allred dropped out of the House District 13 race a few days after the primary and left them without a candidate.
Platte County GOP leaders scrambled to get a replacement on the ballot, selecting Sean Pouche to run against Democrat Vic Abundis.
Pouche pulled off a victory Tuesday. With all precincts reporting, he defeated Abundis, 56% to 44%.
Pouche, a U.S. Navy veteran, is a local businessman whose father once held the House seat.
House District 15
Democrat Maggie Nurrenbern soundly defeated controversial Republican challenger Steve West in the House District 15 seat being vacated by Democratic Rep. Jon Carpenter, who is leaving because of term limits.
With all precincts reporting, Nurrenbern received 58% of the vote to West’s 42%.
Nurrenbern is a Spanish teacher at North Kansas City High School. West, a contractor who has a foundation repair business, has been repeatedly denounced by his own party — and his own children — for espousing bigoted views.
West also ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2018. That race drew national attention when it was revealed after West won the GOP primary that he had a radio show and website promoting his views of homophobia, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and racism.
House District 17
Democrat Mark Ellebracht won a third term to House District 17 on Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger Brandt Vircks by a margin of 56% to 44%.
Ellebracht, first elected in November 2016, is an Army veteran and lawyer from Liberty.
Vircks, of Liberty, is a senior learning consultant for Cerner Corp.
House District 31
Republican Rep. Dan Stacy won his bid for a third term in the Missouri House, defeating Democratic challenger Rhonda R. Dolan in the 31st District race. Both are from Blue Springs.
With all precincts reporting, Stacy received 54% of the vote to Dolan’s 46%.
Stacy was elected to his first two-year term in November 2016.
House District 35
Democratic Rep. Keri Ingle staved off an attempt by the GOP to regain control of the House District 35 seat it lost two years ago.
With all precincts reporting, Ingle defeated Republican challenger Sean Smith by a margin of 55% to 45%.
Ingle seized the seat in 2018, succeeding Republican incumbent Gary Cross of Lee’s Summit, who was leaving because of term limits.
This story was originally published November 3, 2020 at 6:53 PM.
