By Wally Kennedy
Globe Staff Writer
—
Voters in Missouri Senate District 28 will choose a Republican nominee in the Aug. 3 primary from a field of three candidates, all of whom have previous experience in the Missouri House of Representatives.
The candidates are Larry D. Wilson, of Flemington, who represented House District 119 for eight years; Ed Emery, of Lamar, who represented House District 126 for eight years; and Mike Parson, of Bolivar, who has represented House District 133 for six years.
The winner of the primary is expected to be elected in November. No Democrat filed, leaving the only competition from Constitution Party candidate Bennie B. Hatfield, of Sedalia.
The district takes in the counties of Barton, Benton, Cedar, Dallas, Henry, Hickory, Pettis, Polk and St. Clair.
Wilson, 61, is a 1977 graduate of Drury University, Springfield, with a degree in business administration and a minor in economics. A native of Hickory County, he worked as vice president of a food equipment company in Springfield for several years before moving back to Hickory County. He served as county assessor in Hickory County for 11 years. After that, he operated a real estate appraisal firm for 12 years in Bolivar.
Wilson said he is anti-abortion. He said he supports a quality education for all students, job creation in rural Missouri, the right to own firearms, and the elimination of taxes on retirement incomes on Social Security benefits, teachers’ retirement, veterans’ retirement and public service retirement. He said he wants to reduce the tax burden and make government more accountable.
Wilson said he is seeking the Senate post “because I love serving the people and trying to make our community better. The most important part of the job is helping people. That’s what I really enjoy — trying to help people.”
Wilson said the big issue facing Missouri is “job creation. We’ve got to create jobs and put people back to work. If we do that, our revenue picture will improve in the state of Missouri.”
Wilson said he will push for Senate passage of legislation that would create rural empowerment zones to entice small businesses to locate in smaller counties. A business with 10 or more employees could have its state income tax forgiven for 10 years under the proposed legislation, which has been in place in Hickory County since 2004.
Wilson’s website is www.larrydwilson.com.
Emery, 60, grew up in Vernon County working at the family feed and grain business. He received a degree in engineering from the University of Missouri at Rolla, now called Missouri University of Science and Technology. He worked 22 years with a major oil company in management and technical roles. He returned to Southwest Missouri in 1994 and is now self-employed, serving area businesses through his company, Character Returns!
Emery said it is his goal to reduce taxes, the size of government and the burden of government regulation. He is anti-abortion, and said he believes in the need to successfully educate every child.
“My position on the issues is observable in my votes,” he said. “I have tried to be consistent in my views as I have gone through the Legislature. They are virtually the same as what I began with eight years ago.
“The budget is going to continue to be a key issue — what we are going to do with it. Moving to a consumption tax base would have a powerful positive impact.”
He said the state’s regulatory and tax policies should focus on promoting prosperity.
Emery said he also is concerned about the erosion of “constitutional protections we have against government. What is the appropriate level of government?
“It’s a matter of trust with the voters. You are entrusting your views to someone when you elect them. My goal in the campaign is to get out as much information as possible about my campaign into the voter’s hands.”
Emery’s website is www.edemery.com.
Parson, 54, was raised on a farm in Hickory County. He is a 1973 graduate of Wheatland High School, and he attended the University of Maryland and the University of Hawaii. He has owned and operated a gas and oil business, managed rental property, and now operates a cow-calf farm near Bolivar. He is a former sheriff of Polk County. He served six years in the Army.
Parson said he is an anti-abortion, pro-gun conservative. He said he will stand strong to preserve the values of faith, family and hard work. He said he will stand up for cattlemen and farmers while working to provide families with jobs, health care and tax relief.
“The No. 1 issue you have to be concerned about is the economics of the state,” he said. “We need to get people working. State government runs off people working. Unemployment creates a real problem for everybody. We’ve got to what we can to get the economy moving again.
“I think, for me, I chose to run because of my leadership ability. I’ve had four years in the House with 163 other representatives. I have shown leadership there. When you go to the Senate, there’s only 34 of them. There’s no place to hide. You have to be able to handle controversial issues.”
Parson’s website is www.teammikeparson.com.
