The Star’s endorsements for Missouri Senate, House from Independence, east Kansas City | Opinion

Here are the Missouri Senate District 11 and House District 21 candidates we endorse for the general election. For more information about the Nov. 5 election, check out our Voter Guide, a collaboration between The Kansas City Star and the KC Media Collective. See all our published endorsements on our Elections Recommendations page.

In the Missouri Senate District 11 race, we recommend Robert Sauls over Joe Nicola.

Sauls is a moderate Democrat with legislative experience who is willing to work with Republicans. He served three terms as a state representative in the Missouri House for District 21.

“I’m a fairly easy going moderate that works with both sides of the aisle,” Sauls said.

In a state Senate that often found itself last session at a stalemate thanks to the hard-right Missouri Freedom Caucus, Sauls’ collaborative approach to lawmaking is needed in Jefferson City. Nicola, a hard-right Republican campaigning on personal liberty and freedom, would be more of the same, according to Sauls.

“We need grown-ups in the room,” he told The Star Editorial Board during an interview. “I don’t go down there to argue with children.”

Over the last six years, Sauls said he has worked across the aisle on several bills that made it to the governor’s desk, including a bill that stiffens the penalties for fleeing police. In August, Valentine’s Law went into effect. The new statute targeting aggravated fleeing a stop or detention makes it a felony to knowingly evade law enforcement officials.

“Compromise is a part of working together,” Sauls said.

Sauls added he agreed with a new law that requires larger school districts in Missouri to gain voter approval to implement a four-day school week. Voters in the Independence School District should have had a voice in authorizing a four-day model now being used, he said.

Issues important to voters that Sauls supports include better pay for educators, fully funding public schools and addressing crime and poverty.

Nicola won a three-way race in the primary to advance to the general election. At a candidate forum in July hosted by the League of Women Voters, Kansas City, Nicola said he is running for the state Senate because Missourians’ personal freedom and liberty are under attack.

“We’re losing them little by little,” Nicola said. Later, he added: “I am also very concerned about our homes. We are being taxed out of them.”

During the forum, Nicola said he is a pastor, has worked at a school district, ran a small business and is a U.S. Navy Seabee veteran. He previously said he considers himself a constitutional conservative.

“That’s why I’m running; to help secure our freedoms,” Nicola said in July.

Nicola is founding pastor and president of New Covenant Ministries in Independence, He kept the church open during the COVID-19 pandemic, calling into question his decision-making skills.

He also used the church’s money to donate to his own campaign. This summer, legal and campaign finance experts told a Star reporter that the setup was unusual and raised many ethical and legal issues.

And in a now-deleted blog post, he once equated mental illness to demon possession, The Star reported this week.

The donations, the blog post and the COVID fiasco are unfortunate and inappropriate for a potential public servant.

District 11 covers eastern Kansas City, Independence and Sugar Creek in Jackson County. Sauls and Nicola are running to replace outgoing state Sen. John Rizzo, the chamber’s minority leader. Because of term limits, Rizzo could not seek reelection. He left the Missouri Senate early to become executive director of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority.

In this state Senate race, Sauls is the best candidate suited to serve District 11.

Missouri House District 21

Will Jobe, a pastor, attorney and Army veteran, is The Star’s choice over Marjain Breitenbach to represent Missouri House District 21.

Democrat Jobe and Republican Breitenbach are running to replace state Rep. Robert Sauls, who is running for Missouri senator. Both candidates are from Independence.

Jobe should represent the people of District 21 in Jefferson City.

As a former Missouri public defender and guardian ad litem for Jackson County Family Court, Jobe has a history of serving. About three weeks into his freshman year at Oklahoma State University, 9/11 happened. One year later, Jobe enlisted in the Army, he said. Jobe spent nine years in the military and fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“9/11 changed everything for me and a lot of different other people,” he said.

Among Jobe’s priorities voters should support:

• Improved school funding and teacher salaries
• Opposition to state support for private schools
• Opposition to initiative petition reform that would make it harder to change the state constitution

Breitenbach is an anti-masker who once blamed immigrants for COVID-19. In 2021, during the height of the pandemic, he put a sign up in the window of a doughnut shop he owns in Raytown that read: “Stop importing COVID from Mexico unmask truth.” After public outcry, he later changed the sign to read: “Stop importing COVID through border unmask truth.”

Later the same year, he was hospitalized after appearing maskless at a City Council meeting in Independence. His disregard for public health meant others at the meeting had to be tested for the coronavirus, too.

According to The Star’s 2024 Voting Guide, Breitenbach’s priorities include securing the borders, parental rights and opposing abortion.

Jobe, a father of four, is a minister at the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Independence.

He is The Star’s recommendation in Missouri House District 21.

This story was originally published October 24, 2024 at 6:06 AM.