Where Joplin Candidates Stand on the Issues: November 3, 2026 Election
What each candidate on the Joplin ballot has said, sorted by issue, in their words or a close paraphrase, with the source linked. A candidate with nothing on record is listed as such. This page does not score, rank or recommend anyone.
Ask AI
Election day is November 3, 2026. Last updated November 3, 2026. For every race and candidate, see what's on the ballot in Joplin.
Guns
U.S. House, District 6
Second Amendment: I support protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun owners and oppose federal efforts to restrict those rights. (Chris Stigall for Congress)
No public statement found in our sources.
No public statement found in our sources.
Health care and retirement
State Representative, District 161
No public statement found in our sources.
Aaron Joseph Metzger (Democratic)
Healthcare: He says healthcare should be accessible and affordable so people can see a doctor without going bankrupt. He also says he will work toward an economy in which District 161 families have money left after paying rent, groceries, childcare, and bills, and that he will respect voters’ decisions. (Aaron Joseph Metzger for Missouri House District 161)
U.S. House, Missouri District 7
Eric W. Burlison (Republican, incumbent)
Healthcare: I support the Great American Healthcare Act, which I say would expand access to care and lower costs. (Representative Burlison, official House website)
Campaign priorities: Her campaign lists affordability, protecting children’s futures, healthcare, prioritizing farms over data centers, and auditing government among its priorities. (Missi for MO)
No public statement found in our sources.
State Senate, District 32
Jill Carter (Republican, incumbent)
Rural healthcare: She says rural Missouri families deserve dependable access to quality healthcare close to home. (Jill Carter for State Senate — The Record)
No public statement found in our sources.
No public statement found in our sources.
U.S. House, District 6
Rural healthcare: I will work to reduce red tape, expand access to care, strengthen rural hospitals, and improve access to healthcare in small towns. (Chris Stigall for Congress)
Rural healthcare: He says families should not have to leave town for basic health care. (Josh Smead for Congress)
No public statement found in our sources.
State Representative, District 160
Mental health: She supports establishing mental hospitals in multiple parts of Missouri, saying more mental-health treatment facilities are needed. (Cheryle Perkins campaign website)
No public statement found in our sources.
State Representative, District 127
Brenden J. Kelley (Republican)
No public statement found in our sources.
Medicaid: He supports expanding Medicaid so no Missourian has to choose between a job and health coverage. (Marvin Manring candidate profile)
Healthcare: Her campaign lists accessible, quality healthcare as a priority area. (Racheal Martin campaign website)
Schools and education
U.S. House, District 6
No public statement found in our sources.
Public schools: He says public schools should give every child a fair start. (Josh Smead for Congress)
No public statement found in our sources.
State Representative, District 127
Brenden J. Kelley (Republican)
No public statement found in our sources.
Public education: He supports full funding for public schools and universal early childhood education. (Marvin Manring candidate profile)
Education: Her campaign lists education and childcare as a priority area. (Racheal Martin campaign website)
Energy and utilities
State Senate, District 32
Jill Carter (Republican, incumbent)
Utility bills: She says she voted against allowing utilities to charge ratepayers for new power-plant construction before the plants produce power, and states, “Rate increases should follow clear improvements in service, not precede them.” (Jill Carter for State Senate — The Record)
No public statement found in our sources.
No public statement found in our sources.
State Representative, District 128
Christopher D. Warwick (Republican)
Gas tax: In a 2026 statement, Warwick called on the governor to convene a special session to provide gas-tax relief. The statement concerned temporarily suspending the state gas tax through the end of 2026. (Missouri House of Representatives)
Michael L. Martin (Democratic)
No public statement found in our sources.
Data centers: Sawyer says large AI data centers warrant careful scrutiny before expansion, because of the demands they may place on local resources; he says growth should not come at the expense of local water, land, or rural communities. (Shane Sawyer for Representative)
Farming, land and water
U.S. House, District 6
No public statement found in our sources.
Family farms: He says agriculture should work for the people who work the land, and that family farms should stay in families. (Josh Smead for Congress)
No public statement found in our sources.
State Representative, District 127
Brenden J. Kelley (Republican)
No public statement found in our sources.
Local control: He supports returning local control over agricultural-enterprise decisions to counties. (Marvin Manring candidate profile)
No public statement found in our sources.
State Representative, District 128
Christopher D. Warwick (Republican)
No public statement found in our sources.
Michael L. Martin (Democratic)
No public statement found in our sources.
Local control: Sawyer says decisions affecting local land, water, property, and communities should be made as close to home as possible, with local people having a real voice. (Shane Sawyer for Representative)
Roads and infrastructure
State Senate, District 32
Jill Carter (Republican, incumbent)
Local decision-making: Her campaign says local residents should have a voice in decisions affecting rural communities, including data-center development, transmission infrastructure, and property rights. (Jill Carter for State Senate — The Record)
No public statement found in our sources.
No public statement found in our sources.
Elections and government
State Auditor
Scott Fitzpatrick (Republican, incumbent)
Local government: His campaign site lists measuring local-government performance among his priorities. (Scott Fitzpatrick for Missouri)
Accountability: Wilson says the Auditor’s office should provide independent oversight, increase accountability, and promote more efficient, effective, and transparent government. (Quentin Wilson for Missouri State Auditor)
Government performance: Wilson proposes a Missouri Government Accountability Office to evaluate major public systems and seek improved results and savings. (Quentin Wilson for Missouri State Auditor)
Independent audits: He says the auditor should be independent of party control and audit state agencies, counties, and municipalities fairly and objectively. (Dustin Coffell for Missouri State Auditor)
Cybersecurity audits: He proposes including rigorous cybersecurity standards in state and local audits and calling attention to government entities that do not take digital security seriously. (Dustin Coffell for Missouri State Auditor)
Budget oversight: He proposes auditing state-agency budgets line by line to address budget deficits and eliminate administrative waste. (Dustin Coffell for Missouri State Auditor)
State Representative, District 161
No public statement found in our sources.
Aaron Joseph Metzger (Democratic)
Voter respect: He says he is running to serve everyone in District 161 and respect Missourians’ decisions at the ballot box. (Aaron Joseph Metzger for Missouri House District 161)
U.S. House, District 6
No public statement found in our sources.
No public statement found in our sources.
Government: His campaign site lists smaller government as a priority. (Andy Maidment for Missouri)
Fiscal accountability: His campaign site lists fiscal accountability as a priority. (Andy Maidment for Missouri)
State Representative, District 128
Christopher D. Warwick (Republican)
No public statement found in our sources.
Michael L. Martin (Democratic)
No public statement found in our sources.
Government accountability: Sawyer says government should spend responsibly and that taxpayers should be able to see where their money is going and why. (Shane Sawyer for Representative)
Taxes and spending
State Auditor
Scott Fitzpatrick (Republican, incumbent)
Taxpayer protection: Fitzpatrick says protecting taxpayers is a top priority and that he will continue working to identify waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption. (Scott Fitzpatrick for Missouri)
No public statement found in our sources.
No public statement found in our sources.
State Representative, District 161
No public statement found in our sources.
Aaron Joseph Metzger (Democratic)
Family finances: He says he will work toward an economy where hard work leaves families with money after essentials such as rent, groceries, childcare, and bills. (Aaron Joseph Metzger for Missouri House District 161)
U.S. House, Missouri District 7
Eric W. Burlison (Republican, incumbent)
Federal spending: I support a federal budget that restores fiscal discipline without cutting Social Security or Medicare. (Representative Burlison, official House website)
No public statement found in our sources.
Federal spending: I am committed to never increasing taxes or spending and to working to abolish federal programs and agencies I consider unconstitutional. (Kevin Craig for Congress)
U.S. House, District 6
Tax relief: I support making President Trump’s tax cuts permanent and oppose efforts to raise taxes on working Americans. (Chris Stigall for Congress)
No public statement found in our sources.
Taxes: His campaign site lists lower taxes as a priority. (Andy Maidment for Missouri)
State Representative, District 160
Tax policy: She says she will seek a fair and just tax policy under the Hancock Amendment and press the State Tax Commission to hear taxpayer appeals. (Cheryle Perkins campaign website)
No public statement found in our sources.
State Representative, District 127
Brenden J. Kelley (Republican)
No public statement found in our sources.
No public statement found in our sources.
Taxation: Her campaign lists responsible taxation as a priority area. (Racheal Martin campaign website)
Other positions
U.S. House, Missouri District 7
Eric W. Burlison (Republican, incumbent)
Surveillance cameras: I support prohibiting federal funds from being used to purchase, install, maintain, operate, or upgrade automated license-plate readers and biometric surveillance cameras. (Representative Burlison, official House website)
No public statement found in our sources.
Individual liberty: My political philosophy is to maximize individual liberty, guided by what I describe as “Liberty Under God.” (Kevin Craig for Congress)