Democrat JoJo Stewart

Stewart, age 41, is a lifelong Howell County resident whose family has lived here since prohibition, at least three generations. Stewart has worked on U.S. Representative campaigns for the past three years and is the current campaign manager for Randi McCallian's campaign. 

 

“My first priority is to earmark and bring back OUR tax dollars to help fix our failing infrastructure. It's the most important job that a rep, state or federal, can do,” Stewart told Howell County News. She says this creates local jobs and attracts businesses that could set up shop here to create better paying jobs. “And seeing how 60% of our county suffers from food insecurity and poverty, according to Feeding America statistics. My other priority would to be work on ways to keep our social safety net programs funded including our public schools.  Yes, that would also include feeding kids in school with free breakfast and lunch - no matter the income.”

 

Amendment 2-Sports Wagering

Opposed

“I feel like gambling should be legal but, knowing that the money won't make it to public schools – it's a no for me,” said Stewart. “In the past, when gambling amendments came up, they often had promises of the revenue of those ventures of going to public schools, but the state legislative body found loop holes to move that revenue to other places.” 

 

Amendment 3 – Abortion Constitutionally Protected

Strongly in support

Stewart had a lot to say on how hard she will be voting 'yes' on Amendment 3.

“Why? Because body autonomy is the key principle in defining what a person is. That's why it was enshrined in the 13th Amendment,” says Stewart. The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude except as punishment for a crime. She said she's had complications with all of her pregnancies and was denied that choice years ago. “My second daughter passed away from an untreatable heart condition that wasn't found out until after she died. Looking back now, I absolutely would have terminated that pregnancy had I been advised by a doctor to do so because of the trauma it caused.”

 

Amendment 5 – Gambling boats on the Missouri and Osage Rivers

Opposed

“Neither gambling amendments will do anything for our district, like bring in jobs or let our local economies grow,” Stewart said.

 

Amendments 6 & 7 – Law enforcement funding and election integrity

Opposed

On Amendment 6, Stewart says the state legislature attempted this in 2020, and the Missouri Supreme Court said it was unconstitutional and struck it down. “And the Court was right - there's other ways the state can fund our law enforcement without adding even more fees on people trying to get their life together after a bad life decision.”

 

Amendment 7 is proposed by the legislature to ban ranked choice voting and is worded to make it appear to restrict people to a single vote. “That's definitely a big NO. It's already illegal for noncitizens to vote in our elections.” said Stewart. 

 

Proposition A – Minimum wage increase and more

On the fence

“I believe that everyone deserves a livable wage, sick days, and etc. but my biggest concern is how it will affect our local businesses that aren't making millions in profits,” Stewart said.

She mentioned the economic state of the area and how local small business struggle to stay open and pay employees. “(It would) be different if they were in the Fortune 500 and rolling in the cash like big corporations. But they're not, so I don't want those businesses to be punished for not making huge profits.”