Candidate Letters: U.S. Representative District 6

By Phil Cobb | October 24, 2024 |

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves Republican

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 6

Libertarian candidate Andy Maidment’s campaign did not respond to multiple invitations to send a letter. The Missouri Green Party did not respond to an email seeking contact information for candidate Mike Diel.

Sam Graves, Republican

I’m a sixth-generation Missouri farmer. My son is the seventh. One day, I hope my grandchildren can be the eighth generation. It might not be the best way to get rich quick, but it’s a way of life that’s rewarding in so many other ways, which is why my father, who turned 90 this year, is still out there every day in the field.

It’s also why I went to college for Agronomy. However, when I came back home to farm, I learned that a lot of government rules, regulations, and meddling make it unnecessarily difficult for farmers to make ends meet. That’s because there are a whole lot of bureaucrats out in Washington who just don’t get it. As Dwight Eisenhower once put it, “Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field.”

I got involved with the Missouri Farm Bureau and eventually got into politics because I knew someone needed to stand up for this way of life that we all hold dear. To this day, that’s always been my number one focus. I’m always on the last flight out to D.C. every week and the first flight home because the only way to be the voice for North Missouri is to actually be in North Missouri.

I’ve always taken the same common-sense approach to representing our way of life in Congress, focusing on the things that matter, like fixing our roads and bridges, holding the Postal Service accountable for late and lost mail with the Pony Up Act, fighting government overreach like the disastrous WOTUS rule, and securing our southern border to keep deadly fentanyl out of our communities.

That’s why I didn’t hang up my hat when I helped pass the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act as Chairman of the Highways Subcommittee; I got to work helping our communities fight for our fair share of those infrastructure dollars for projects like the South Main Corridor here in Maryville. It’s also why I voted no when I read President Biden’s so-called “infrastructure” bill. It simply didn’t do enough to fix our rural roads and bridges while wasting billions on electric vehicle chargers, Green New Deal nonsense, and tearing down “racist” highways in cities.

Washington’s spending has gotten out of control, driving up prices everywhere. We can’t afford to tear up perfectly good roads in the name of “justice” when we can’t even maintain the roads and bridges that rural Missourians depend on every day. Most folks would call that common sense — something that seems to be in short supply in Washington today.

I’m no longer just a subcommittee chair, though. I’m the Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, which oversees not just roads and bridges, but also the Coast Guard, the Corps of Engineers, FEMA, and more. In this role, I’ve led the charge against the Biden-Harris Administration’s WOTUS rule and fought their ridiculous assault on gas-powered vehicles. I’ve also introduced and passed strong, bipartisan legislation to help protect our communities along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers from flooding and increase safety and efficiency for air travelers.

Ultimately, this job is all about doing what’s right for the American people and what’s right for North Missouri. I can promise you that will always be my mission: representing our values to Washington, not the other way around. It’s an honor to serve you, and I humbly ask for your vote on November 5th.

Pam May, Democrat

Career politicians often become disconnected from the people they are to serve and represent. The 6th District of Missouri needs a Representative in Congress who looks out for the interests of all Missourians. I’m running for Congress not to serve a President or party, but for the people in the 6th District.

I won’t support a tax system that benefits the rich. I won’t put our economy at risk by voting to default on the government’s obligations. I won’t vote to reject millions of dollars slated for infrastructure projects throughout the district. Every time I drive into Maryville, my hometown, I see how almost $11M has been invested back into the community through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, a bill the current representative voted against. I’ll work with others to lower healthcare and prescription drug costs. I will support bills like the Inflation Reduction Act, which the current representative voted against, that allowed Medicare to negotiate lowering prices on certain prescription drugs.

I’ll work with others to address climate change. We need a representative who understands that protecting our planet cannot be a partisan issue, but instead we must come together in working to stabilize and preserve the planet we all share. I’ll work with others to pass legislation that humanely and substantively addresses fixing our Southern border. The current representative has had 23 years to work on legislation to fix our immigration system. I’ll work with others to put real dollars into the pockets of hard working Americans. This election I’ll vote YES on Proposition A to increase Missouri’s minimum wage and to provide paid sick leave to employees.

With his votes in Congress, the current representative has consistently voted against workers and workers’ rights. I’ll work with others to restore reproductive healthcare for women.

I don’t know how many times I’ve travelled Highway 36, the backbone of the district, over the course of my campaign. I’ve learned about the district, met people, and listened to them. I’ve been spreading a message driven by people over party. It’s a message driven by a vision of a House in Washington not filled with career politicians, but a People’s House! It’s a message driven by inclusion and lifting people up, not leaving them behind, or pushing them down. It’s a message driven by serving the common good, not seeking partisan deals benefiting only a few. It’s a message driven by facts, not fiction. It’s a message driven by unifying and not dividing. It’s a message displaying love for country and caring for our neighbors.

This election cycle I’m offering a fresh voice and a fresh perspective for voters. If elected, I’ll carry values to Congress that I learned growing up in this district: the values of hard work, respect, honesty, integrity, caring and kindness. It’s time for change.

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