State Offices: Next on the Ballot

There are an amazing number of other offices and resolutions on the ballot. The next thing after the Presidential choices are Missouri State Officials. There are many in this

 

MISSOURI STATE OFFICIALS

FOR UNITED STATES SENATOR

(VOTE FOR ONE)

JASON KANDER                                            1001 BROOK TROUT CT, COLUMBIA, MO 65203 (Dem)

ROY BLUNT                                                    350 S JOHN Q HAMMONS PKWY APT 15-A,         (Rep)

                                                                           SPRINGFIELD, MO 65806

JONATHAN DINE                                          5116 NW KALIVAS DR APT 62,                                 (Lib)

RIVERSIDE, MO 64150

FRED RYMAN                                                2838 SCHOTT RD,                                                         (Con)

JEFFERSON CITY, MO 65101-9010

JOHNATHAN McFARLAND                        3410 A VIRGINIA AVE,                                               (Grn)

ST LOUIS, MO 63118

Senator is the first position listed as a state official, which is a correct, if curious way of seeing it.There are five candidates to choose from.

In a quick online search it is harder to get details on positions for the main parties than the “third” parties. I could get stories on who is leading, but not anything informing me of where they really stand.But I could find nothing suggesting that they want to lessen government and increase freedom like the third party candidates.

Jonathan Dine, the Libertarian Party, has clear statements of the same Libertarian themes found on the national campaign pages. His Facebook page has some excellent quotes, including one from C.S. Lewis about the danger of government’s as moral busybodies.

Fred Ryman’s page, Constitution Party, is a well-stated manifesto. I find myself allured by such bold speech.

Johnathan McFarland of the Green Party has a searchable Facebook page, but I don’t really get anything on stance, so have to assume he lines up with general Green Party stance, which makes me concerned with larger government.

I find myself drawn to two candidates: Dine and Ryman. Most likely I will be going Libertarian if I have no other factor that sways me between now and election day.

FOR STATE GOVERNOR

(VOTE FOR ONE)

CHRIS KOSTER                                              201 W MCCARTY ST APT 7,                                      (Dem)

JEFFERSON CITY, MO 65101-1566

ERIC GREITENS                                             4522 MARYLAND AVE, ST LOUIS, MO 63108      (Rep)

CISSE W SPRAGINS                                      3425 GLADSTONE BLVD,                                          (Lib)

KANSAS CITY, MO 64123

DON FITZ                                                         720 HARVARD AVE,                                                    (Grn)

UNIVERSITY CITY, MO 63130

LESTER BENTON (LES) TURILLI, JR.      PO BOX 948, STANTON, MO 63079                         (Ind)

FOR STATE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

(VOTE FOR ONE)

RUSS CARNAHAN                                        3150 ALLEN AVE, ST LOUIS, MO 63104                (Dem)

MIKE PARSON                                               940 N REDEL PL, BOLIVAR, MO 65613                  (Rep)

STEVEN R. HEDRICK                                   103 N DEVASHER RD UNIT 7,                                   (Lib)

WARRENSBURG, MO 64093

JENNIFER LEACH                                         809 E 30^TH ST, KANSAS CITY, MO 64109               (Grn)

Missouri has separate voting for Governor and Lieutenant Governor. That is how there are 5 candidates for governor and 4 candidates for lieutenant governor. Democrat, Republican, Libertarian and Green, with an Independent candidate for Governor.

Perhaps I am favoring outliers, but Lester Benton Turilli Jr., the independent candidate, has a well-structured platform that seems to go right down the middle of what appeals as normalcy to me.

I found this piece for Don Fitz of the Green Party. He seems to oppose a lot of things I support; his idea of green doesn’t match my idea of stewardship. More government would be required for his way.

Cisse Spragins is the Libertarian Candidate, and a long-time Libertarian party member. Her page reads with the greater freedom less government I have come to expect of Libertarians.

Eric Greitens, Republican, has this page telling about his Navy Seal background and stand on issues.

Chris Koster, Democrat, has this page about his moderate stances on issues.

None are incumbents. The Democrat sounds a little more socialist, but moderate, to me. The Republican where I’d expect one to be. I could probably vote for all but the Green Party candidate and not feel my vote wasted. But I think I’m swaying  between Turilli and Spragins, with Greitens a close third. This one will be hard to decide.

I don’t have time today to look up the Lieutenant governor candidates. It is probably a false assumption, but I’ll probably decide between them based on what I decide for the Governor, unless I hear comments positive or negative about any of them. I can see time is already making me take shortcuts. We have too many choices to make in voting, and not enough time. We have to make more snap judgements than we’d like. There is never enough time to weigh everything fully.