Job creation, the preservation of conservative values and less government intrusion are among the reasons that seven Republicans give for wanting to be elected to one of three seats in the Missouri House of Representatives from districts in Southwest Missouri.

The candidates are seeking to fill vacancies that have been created by limits on the terms that a representative may serve.

Only one of the winners of the Aug. 3 primary will face an opponent in the general election in November. In the 129th District, Democrat Jim West, a former member of the Joplin City Council, is a candidate.

129th District

Two candidates are competing in the Republican primary. They are Shelly Dreyer, 3802 Fawn Trail, and William “Bill” White, 2122 E. 47th St. The district takes in parts of Jasper and Newton counties.

White, 57, has lived in Joplin for 18 years. He is a retired attorney and still has a license to practice law. He works as a volunteer government and history teacher at McAuley Catholic High School. He was an attorney for the Jasper County juvenile office for several years.

He has a bachelor of arts in history from the University of Kansas and a master’s degree in Soviet era studies from the University of Chicago. He received his law degree from Washburn University in Topeka, Kan. He is making a first bid for elective office.

“With Ron Richard being term-limited, it was imperative that a true Republican continue to represent the district,” White said. “I am a lifelong Republican. My values match that of the citizenry.”

He said he is an adoptive foster parent and is anti-abortion. He said he served in the Marines for four years and is a firm believer in Second Amendment rights.

“There will be cuts made in next year’s state budget,” he said. “I think I will have the ability of fairness in making those cuts. I believe our seniors and youth need protection, but there are no sacred cows. I am not a voucher person. We’ve got to have a strong public education system.”

Dreyer, 40, is an attorney who has lived in Joplin for 2 1/2 years. She grew up in St. Charles County. She received a bachelor’s degree in socio-political communications from Missouri State University in Springfield and a law degree from the University of Missouri.

“I’m running because of the concerns I have for the future of my family, just as I’m sure other parents have concerns for the future of their families,” she said. “With Ron Richard’s seat opening, it gave me the opportunity to use my skills and experience to try to make laws that benefit families in Southwest Missouri.

“All of the issues revolve around the family. The No. 1 issue is the economy. Families in Southwest Missouri are competing for a limited number of jobs. We need to be aggressive about job creation and job retention. We need to strengthen small businesses so they can stay in business in Southwest Missouri.

“We need jobs because jobs affect families. If people are unable to work, they are not able to feed their families. They are unable to pay taxes, and that hurts state revenue. Our No. 1 priority has to be getting people to work.”

128th District

Two candidates are competing in the Republican primary. They are Charlie Davis, 2036 Red Bird Drive, Webb City, and Bill Birkes, 502 Timber Hill Road, Joplin. The district takes in part of Jasper County.

Birkes, 69, formerly of Webb City, is a retired financial analyst with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., and the Securities and Exchange Commission. He began a career in banking at Webb City Bank. He was a bank examiner for the state of Missouri. He started a career in the military when he joined the Missouri Army National Guard at Pierce City. He served 28 years, including five years of active duty.

Upon completing that duty, he was employed by the Resolution Trust Corp. to help resolve a disaster in the savings and loan industry in the early 1990s.

He attended Joplin Junior College. He received a bachelor of science degree in business from Missouri State University in Springfield. He is a graduate of the School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He is seeking election to his first elective office.

“All of the issues come back to money,” Birkes said. “Difficult and crucial decisions must be made about our $23 billion state budget. I have had budget experience as a lieutenant colonel.”

Birkes said that if he is elected, he would work to uphold the U.S. Constitution, particularly the Second, 10th and 17th amendments. He said he is anti-abortion.

“I will represent the people,” he said. “I will have local town hall meetings once a year. I believe I can work to gain consensus in the Legislature.”

Charlie Davis, 45, has lived in Webb City for 13 years and has operated a business, the Software Center in Joplin, for 21 years. He graduated from a high school on a military base in Karlsruhe, Germany. He studied advertising at the University of Maryland while serving six years in the Navy.

He is the treasurer of the Jasper County Republican Central Committee. This is his first bid for elective office.

“I am seeking elective office because I have three children, and I am concerned about the direction the country is headed and the direction our state could be headed,” Davis said.

“Having been a business owner for 21 years, I know how to run a business, manage a budget, do payroll and listen to people. A business owner understands what it takes for job creation and to make a business successful.”

Jobs, he said, represent the No. 1 issue now. “If we don’t have jobs, we have more people on unemployment and on foods stamps,” he said. “My No. 1 priority is to get people back to work.

“Education is the key to our children’s success. The public schools have to have the funding they need, but parents must have choices of where to send their kids — public, private, parochial or home school.”

126th District

Three candidates are competing in the Republican primary. They are David Jerome, of Everton; William Savard, of Greenfield; and Mike Kelley, of Lamar. The district takes in Barton and Dade counties, and parts of Jasper and Polk counties.

Jerome, 54, grew up in Everton. He returned there a year ago after a career as an officer in the Army. He is an assistant professor of political science at Missouri Southern State University. He is seeking his first elective office.

He has a bachelor of science degree in marketing from Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg and a master’s degree in business administration from Florida Tech University in Melbourne. He has completed doctorate studies in public policy at the University of Arkansas. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

“I want conservative principles to prevail in Jefferson City,” Jerome said. “My second reason is my education, accomplishments and experience. I think I am the candidate who can best represent the district. Third, I am personally, emotionally and spiritually attached to the people of this district, where I grew up.

“The most important issue is the need for jobs in Southwest Missouri. We need to create an environment in which we keep government out of business so that small businesses and agriculture can go out and create jobs in communities.

“I want to be an advocate for farmers and an advocate for the public school system. I want to get government out of the classrooms and let teachers teach.”

Savard, 65, is a retired independent businessman. He has lived in Greenfield for five years. He has operated a travel agency and a small farm. He has a bachelor’s degree in business, banking and finance from Texas Tech University in Lubbock. He has served on a school board in Stanfield, Ore., and on the Greenfield City Council. He is a veteran of the Air Force.

“I think the issues right now are government intervention in farming and small business,” Savard said. “I want to see downsizing in both state and national governments. I hope to work toward some issues at the national level from the House.

“Missouri needs to attract clean industry and provide real jobs — not government jobs. These should be jobs within a business that produces something. We need to be innovative in this area and create new kinds of business. We have lost the shoe industry, and the farm industry has downsized. There is no impetus toward individual initiative.”

He said that while serving on the Greenfield City Council, he has helped bring to the town seven or so new businesses. “We just passed the best budget Greenfield has ever had,” he said.

Kelley, 35, is general manager of Lamar One Inc., a McDonald’s franchise. He is a graduate of Lamar High School. He is seeking election to his first elective office.

“I feel that the best person who can represent Southwest Missouri is a person from Southwest Missouri, and I feel that I am that person,” Kelley said. “I have lived here my entire life. I am active in my church and my children’s ministry, and I have been active in the community. That’s why I feel that I can represent the people. I know the people and have been around the area.”

Kelley said neither of his opponents in the primary can say that.

“We face numerous issues,” he said. “Job growth in Missouri is one of them. We need to protect our state constitution liberties. We need to return more power to our schools, and we need to provide funding to provide a good education for our children.

“We need to redefine our tax structure at both the state and federal level. We need to protect our right to bear arms. When you think about the social agenda at the national level, there are a lot of things to be concerned about.”