Boone County voters elected two new individuals Tuesday to represent them in the state House of Representatives.
Candidates from both parties followed the returns with their respective parties, watching from local hotels. Some candidates opted to watch with close friends and family.
District 44
Republican John Martin defeated Democrat Dave Raithel in what has been a reliable area of the county for Republican candidates.
Former Rep. Cheri Toalson Reisch, R-Hallsville, was not eligible to run again because of term limits.
Martin is a lifelong Boone County resident. His campaign is centered on limiting government to three basics: education, infrastructure and law enforcement. He has also promoted tax reform and believes that state income tax should be reduced or phased out over time.
"When you're campaigning door-to-door, especially here in Centralia, with people I grew up with, feeling the honor of being able to represent their districts — that's very humbling," Martin said.
On election night, Martin watched results with his family and friends in Centralia, leading the group in a prayer and staying confident with an early lead.
Raithel, an Army veteran, unsuccessfully sought the office in 2022. He supports abortion rights and said he was focused on fully funding education, infrastructure and agriculture.
District 44 covers the majority of Eastern and Southern Boone County outside Columbia city limits.
District 50
Democrat Gregg Bush won District 50, where he was favored to keep the seat in his party's hands. Republican John Lane entered the race last minute to challenge Bush.
"It felt like all the hard work that the campaign has done and all of the volunteers have done is paid off," Bush said. "House District 50 is ready to send a proven advocate down to Jeff City to advocate, not only for us, but for all the Missouri."
Bush’s time as a nurse propelled him into politics, where he has spent time doing advocacy in Jefferson City for nurses and other MU Health Care employees. His campaign revolved around guaranteeing access to public education, access to quality health care and “common sense” gun laws, such as a mandatory 24-hour waiting period when buying firearms.
"It was incredible talking to the people that I did in the district and as late as I got into the race," Lane said about his campaign. "Having the opportunity to represent the Republican party and our values was an incredible experience."
House District 50 covers the south side of Columbia and is currently represented by Democrat Doug Mann, who is stepping down due to health issues.
District 47
Rep. Adrian Plank, D-Columbia, won reelection over Republican opponent John Potter for his second term representing District 47. He first won against Republican Chuck Basye in 2022. His campaign focused on access to abortion, gun safety reform and farming sustainability.
"Boone County gives me hope," Plank said. "You know, it gives us all hope. So we work hard at it to keep our seats in Boone County."
Plank grew up in a working-class family, which struggled financially until his father landed a job at the Thomas Hill Power Plant. Plank owned a small business, then joined a labor union following the 2007 recession.
Potter has been a frequent critic of the Columbia Public Schools Board of Education. He failed to win a seat on the board in two elections.
District 45
Democratic Rep. Kathy Steinhoff ran for her second term in District 45 unopposed, and she will continue to be the representative for central Columbia. Steinhoff was first elected in 2022 after teaching in Columbia Public Schools for over 20 years. She grew up in Columbia and attended the University of Missouri, which her district includes.
District 46
Democratic Rep. David Tyson Smith will continue to represent Missouri's 46th District, running unopposed this election cycle. This will be his third term in office, first representing District 45 after a special election in 2021. When House districts were redrawn, Smith's home ended up in District 46, which he has represented for the past two years. Smith hails from Columbia and served as an attorney for over 20 years. District 46 covers the North and Northeastern parts of Columbia.
