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Crystal Quade wins the Democratic nomination for Missouri governor

Missouri Democratic gubernatorial candidate Crystal Quade is greeted by supporters as she makes her way into her watch party at Big Momma's Coffee and Espresso Bar in Springfield on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024.
Nathan Papes
/
KSMU
Missouri Democratic gubernatorial candidate Crystal Quade is greeted by supporters as she makes her way into her watch party at Big Momma's Coffee and Espresso Bar in Springfield on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024.

Missouri Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Crystal Quade, is looking ahead to the General Election now that she’s won the primary. Quade came out on top in a field of five Democratic candidates.

At a watch party in a small, locally-owned coffee shop, Big Momma's, in one of the oldest business districts in Springfield she called her win a testament to all of the work that people across the state have been doing to share her message of "putting Missourians first."

As she waited for results to come in, she talked to the crowd about what she’ll do if elected governor in November.

Her number one priority, she said, will be education, which she said is in “full crisis mode” right now. According to Quade, salaries have to be addressed.

“We’ve got to be sure that every teacher is paid valuable wages, but not just the teachers, our cafeteria workers, the bus drivers, the folks who hold our school systems together,” she said.

Quade said, besides education, she’ll work to make sure women’s abortion rights are restored in Missouri. She said it’s important to have a woman at the top of the ticket to talk about how impactful the abortion ban is.

Quade also promised to focus on making childcare more affordable in Missouri, if she's elected on November 5.

Quade has served eight years in the Missouri Legislature, most of that time as House minority leader.

Michele Skalicky is the News Director at Ozarks Public Radio in Springfield, Missouri.