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Six candidates across three contested races in Texas County on the November general election ballot discuss their priorities and backgrounds.
For presiding commissioner, Republican Scott Long, incumbent, and Democrat Lee Kern are competing for a four-year term.
In the state representative (143rd district) race for a two-year term, Republican Bennie Cook, incumbent, is opposed by Democrat Marsha Snodgrass.
For recorder of deeds, Republican Lindsay Koch, incumbent, and Democrat Madeline Miller are competing for a four-year term.
Texas County presiding commissioner
R – Scott Long
If you win this election, and are sworn in on Jan. 1, what is the first thing you would accomplish?
As the newly elected presiding commissioner, my first thing I would accomplish is the annual budget for Texas County. The county budget must be approved prior to any payment of invoices received from each department.
It is of utmost importance we complete and approve the budget before moving on to other areas of concern. We must continue to balance our budget as well as being accountable for the taxpayer’s dollar.
Other projects of importance would be to continue to improve infrastructure to ensure economic growth. I have always believed that our agricultural industries are the driving force to our local economy and as commissioner I will work to provide the necessary tools so this and other industries may thrive.
We must also work to provide the citizens of Texas County the security they need to feel safe as they go about their daily lives. I believe our children are our greatest resource. If we want our county to succeed, we must provide an avenue for our brightest and most talented youth to be able to provide a quality lifestyle for themselves and their families right here in Texas County. To accomplish this vision, we must build it on a solid foundation of hard work and determination by our policymakers in this county.
How do you plan to work with township leaders to address road issues and maintenance in the county?
As a commissioner, I have and will continue to attend township meetings across the county to assist township leaders in the difficult process of providing quality roads on a very limited budget.
I will also continue to attend the quarterly meetings of the township advisory council. The people have spoken as to their desire to have a sales tax to help fund road and bridge projects so the commission has moved on to other types of funding sources for these projects.
The county commission is also working with the South Central Ozarks Council of Governments to try to find grant funding for many of the road and bridge projects needed to improve our infrastructure countywide.
Summarize your education, experience, personal values and motive for running for elected office.
I have spent the last eight years as your Texas County presiding commissioner. I have been married to my wonderful wife Sheila for the past 37 years. We have five children, four of which graduated from Texas County schools.
I spent 30 years teaching high school agriculture in and around Texas County. I work with my sons in operating a 50-head cow/calf operation in Texas and Wright counties. I have a college degree in agriculture education as well as 30+ credit hours in administrative leadership.
I am a lifelong conservative who believes our liberties and freedoms which are provided by God and our founding fathers should be protected for generations to come. My reason for seeking this position has not changed. I would like to give back to a community which has given so much to myself and my family. I would appreciate your vote on Nov. 3.
D – Lee Kern
If you win this election, and are sworn in on Jan. 1, what is the first thing you would accomplish?
Every January, the commission’s first job is to prepare and adopt the county budget. That means making sure our tax dollars are spent responsibly. We have to stop robbing Peter to pay Paul. My top priority is transparency.
We work hard for our money, and we deserve to know where it’s going. Right now, getting public records can cost us time and money. It’s time for change. When I’m elected as your next presiding commissioner, I will work to make budgets, audits, meeting minutes and other public records available online.
I’ll also work to hold monthly meetings in the evenings or on Saturdays so working people like us have a chance to be heard. This is our money, our county, our government and your children’s future. You are the boss, and it’s time your government started acting like it.
How do you plan to work with township leaders to address road issues and maintenance in the county?
I plan to meet and work closely with all township board members to voice their concerns and see how the commission can step up and help our townships be successful. I have attended township meetings and already heard concerns about needing training for FEMA paperwork and grant applications.
If we want our townships to succeed, we need to give them all the tools to do the job. Let’s start with CART funds. This money comes from taxes and fees tied to fuel and vehicle registration. Since 2016, Texas County has kept approximately $668,000 from our townships as an “administrative fee.” That’s money that could have gone toward our roads, while many townships struggle and we end up paying the price.
I know the commission doesn’t control everything, but they can do more. These aren’t just numbers on a budget. They’re the roads we drive to work, take your kids down and depend on every day. We pay the taxes and deserve roads we can count on.
Summarize your education, experience, personal values and motive for running for elected office.
I’ve lived my entire life in Texas County and graduated from Houston High School. Many of you know me from high school, helping animals or H&R Block, where I worked for 12 years.
I’m not a career politician. I’m a taxpayer and a working person just like you. I care deeply about where our county is heading. I’m a respectful hunter, passionate about animals, I love the beauty of our scenic waterways, and our rural way of life. This is why the potential development of data centers demands our attention.
We must be proactive, not reactive, and make informed decisions before our options are limited. This campaign is about the people of Texas County. Ending the good ol’ boy system, holding government accountable and ensuring the people who pay the bills have a seat at the table.
I want your children to grow up here, thrive, build a future and find opportunities close to home. We deserve a government that listens, responds and works for its people. Every Road. Every Town. Every Voice. I’d like to thank the Houston Herald for this opportunity to voice the change Texas County needs!
State representative (143rd district)
R – Bennie Cook
What is the greatest need you see in the district, and how will you tackle it?
One of the greatest needs in our district is continuing to strengthen our rural communities and creating more opportunities for families to live, work and raise their children right here at home. We need to keep supporting our farmers, small businesses, schools and hospitals while working to bring more good-paying jobs to our area.
My plan is to continue the work I have been doing for the past six years. That means working alongside our schools, hospitals, businesses, cities, counties and community leaders to help move projects forward. Part of that work includes helping our communities identify local funding opportunities, secure state appropriations and pursue federal grants that benefit our citizens.
I also believe we need to do more to showcase what rural Missouri has to offer. We have great communities, hardworking people, good schools, strong businesses and opportunities for growth. We need to make sure folks across Missouri and throughout the country know what our area has to offer.
Several of our communities are already working on economic development projects that could bring more jobs and opportunities to our region. Our local leaders are doing a great job, and I have been blessed to work alongside them to help make some of these projects a reality.
Just as important, I want our citizens involved in the legislative process. I believe in listening to folks across our entire district and making sure their concerns and ideas are heard in Jefferson City.
This is my home, and I want our children and grandchildren to have the opportunity to stay here, find good jobs, raise their families and enjoy the same way of life we have been blessed with.
Rural healthcare funding is becoming increasingly complicated. What plan(s) do you support to address the issue?
Rural healthcare is one of my top priorities. I believe everyone deserves quality healthcare close to home, and we must continue supporting our rural hospitals, pharmacies, EMS providers and healthcare workers.
I am working directly with Texas County Memorial Hospital and Phelps Health to advocate for state funding and assist with grants, including funding efforts for the TCMH Surgery Center and new Phelps Health Emergency Department. I have also worked with our hospitals and federally elected officials to help make sure rural Missouri receives its fair share of funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program.
Serving on the House Health and Mental Health and Professional Registration and Licensing Committees, I have passed legislation expanding pharmacy services, continuing Missouri’s Rx Cares program and reducing paperwork to help mental health patients receive care sooner. I also sponsored PBM reform legislation to protect patient access to medications and support our independent pharmacies.
Another accomplishment was passing the Community Paramedic Program legislation, which will help bring healthcare closer to rural residents, reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and save taxpayers money.
This year I worked with a local constituent on legislation to raise awareness of a rare pediatric disease and the challenges it brings to children and their families.
Moving forward I will continue working to bring healthcare funding back to rural Missouri, support our healthcare workers and protect the hospitals and services our communities depend on.
Summarize your education, experience, personal values and motive for running for elected office.
I am a sixth-generation rural Missourian. My wife, Amanda, our children and I live on a family farm outside Houston, where we strive to teach our children the importance of faith, family, hard work and serving others. I earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration with a minor in human services from Columbia College.
Before being elected state representative, I served as a commissioned deputy sheriff with the Texas County Sheriff’s Department and volunteered as emergency management director for Texas County and the City of Houston. I served as director of the Texas County Food Pantry and Salvation Army before joining Congressman Jason Smith’s team as a field representative and constituent specialist.
For six years, I have represented the 143rd district in the Missouri House and currently serve in house leadership as House Republican Conference Chair. I am a deacon at Oak Hill Christian Church, secretary of the Houston Lions Club, chair of the Texas County Shop With a Hero Program and serve on the Texas County Farm Bureau board.
There is still work to do, and that is why I am seeking a fourth and final term. Rural Missouri needs a strong voice in Jefferson City from someone who lives here, raises a family here, goes to church here and understands our way of life. My commitment is to keep showing up, listening, working hard and making sure rural Missourians have a voice in state government. I took an oath to support the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Missouri, and I will continue to fight to ensure no one takes our freedoms away. I humbly ask for your vote and support on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to re-elect me as your state representative for the 143rd district.
D – Marsha Snodgrass
What is the greatest need you see in the district, and how will you tackle it?
I’ve been all over this district in the last eight months and the people of my district tell me that they are being bombarded from every direction! From their schools being defunded to the price of everything going up, to the worry of data centers coming into their communities! Add to that the cost and loss of healthcare providers in their towns.
What can I do for them? I can vote to fund their schools, I can write or co-sign a bill that says if a private school gets taxpayer money then they have to meet the same standards, requirements and testing that every other public school has to meet in Missouri.
I can vote to end sales taxes on groceries, and I can and will support a six-month moratorium on data centers in all of Missouri!
Rural healthcare funding is becoming increasingly complicated. What plan(s) do you support to address the issue?
I can and will vote to ensure that Medicare and Medicaid will always be available and will vote to expand these services! Rural areas depend on both of these services to support their clinics and hospitals. I would also introduce a bill that would encourage more CRNAs and CNAs by offering free college tuition to students that work so many years at satellite clinics in your small towns.
Summarize your education, experience, personal values and motive for running for elected office.
I’m just a Missouri girl , whose family has been here since before Missouri was a state. Yes, my ancestor fought in the Revolutionary War, but I am a true Show-Me girl. I farmed cattle for 30 years, built a house, gardened, put up my own food and raised my two children while my husband worked away on the railroad. I have a touch of survivalist in me, and I have never been intimidated by a challenge.
I grew up in St. James in a little house across the street from the library, then moved to Newburg out on to a farm at the end of my freshman year. So I got to experience two completely different small school systems. It was then that I realized that the funding that different schools received made a huge difference in the opportunities that the students received!
I believe that every child in my district is capable of greatness, every child deserves the opportunity to be the best that they can be and I will fight to make sure that they have it! It’s the reason I started running for the office — our children are our future and yet the GOP is treating them like they are disposable, which is why I will fight for our rural schools to be fully funded.
I also do not support data centers. I believe that they will destroy communities by driving up electric bills, drying up your rural wells and spewing toxic chemicals, light and sound on a daily basis! And they want your tax breaks to ravage your community? I say no! I have spoken to close to 2,000 people and I had only two people who didn’t vehemently hate data centers! I have already been working in Phelps County to get a six-month moratorium and I will fight to get one for all of Missouri!
So why am I running? I am running for you! I am willing to give you two years of my life to work my tail off for you! I will not run again. I will be putting up a website if I win to explain the bills in real English and to take applications for young people who believe that being a representative is and should be a service and not a job — that you should serve your people and not yourself and it shouldn’t be a stepping stone! And I will pick that person and introduce them to you to vote them in!
I am a one-time special, so if you want me, vote for me and vote early!
Texas County recorder of deeds
R – Lindsay Koch
If elected, how do you see yourself interacting with various county and local offices and officials?
Having served as Texas County Recorder of Deeds since 2015, I understand the importance of maintaining strong working relationships with fellow county officials and local offices. Each office plays an important role in serving our community, and communication, cooperation and mutual respect are essential to providing efficient county government.
I have always believed in being approachable, willing to help and working together to find solutions when challenges arise. If reelected, I will continue building on these relationships while ensuring that the recorder’s office remains a dependable resource for county officials, businesses and the citizens of Texas County.
What would you consider your strengths and weaknesses in regards to the role of a recorder of deeds?
My greatest strengths are my experience, attention to detail, dedication and willingness to continually learn and improve. Having worked in county government since 2007 and served as recorder of deeds since 2015, I have developed a strong understanding of the responsibilities of this office. I take pride in maintaining accurate public records, helping individuals navigate the recording process and preserving our county’s history for future generations.
One area I continue to work on is finding the right balance between maintaining our daily responsibilities and pursuing improvements within the office. There are always new ideas and opportunities to make things more efficient, but I also understand the importance of making thoughtful decisions that best serve our staff and the public.
Summarize your education, experience, personal values and motive for running for elected office.
I graduated from Houston High School and attended classes at Missouri State University-West Plains. I began my career in county government in 2007, serving as chief deputy assessor before transitioning to the recorder’s office in 2014. Following the passing of my predecessor and mentor, Susan Warkentin, I was appointed recorder of deeds in 2015.
I have been proud to continue Susan’s work, modernizing the office and preserving historical records dating back to 1845. I also serve as executive board secretary, conference committee chair and legislative committee member for the Missouri Recorders Association.
My values are rooted in honesty, integrity, hard work and public service. As a wife, mother and nonni, I care deeply about the community we call home. I am seeking reelection because I genuinely enjoy serving the people of Texas County and remain committed to building on the progress we’ve made.
Thank you for your consideration!
D – Madeline Miller
If elected, how do you see yourself interacting with various county and local offices and officials?
I would be interacting very well with the various county and local offices. I am familiar with many of the people in these offices and have worked with them in the past.
What would you consider your strengths and weaknesses in regards to the role of a recorder of deeds?
I have been a real estate broker in the past and am familiar with the activities of the recorder’s office. There have been some updates to the procedures in that office, and I will update myself regarding these changes.
Summarize your education, experience, personal values and motive for running for elected office.
I have a bachelor’s degree in secondary education, plus additional graduate courses for vocational certification. My experience consists of approximately 20 years in real estate and insurance. Also, I have served in the past on the Cass Township board as clerk and treasurer, the county library board and currently on the county health board and the county planning commission.
I believe that there should be equal representation in our county courthouse and that people should have a choice in elections. I also believe that the citizens of Texas County should have simple and easy access to our public records.
