Many of you have become familiar with names in Missouri politics such as Todd Akin and Vicky Hartzler. Those that follow this state’s politics a little more closely know that Missouri, the “Show-Me” state, used to be a swing state. In recent years with the swift political swing to the right, we have all but lost our political moderation. We’ve acquired quite a reputation for crazy politics with our added discrimination protection for gun owners and our very own “don’t say gay” legislation.
Another name you may be less familiar with is Billy Long. Congressman Long represents Missouri’s 7th House District. A little bit about Billy:
- He stood up for Todd Akin as a Senate candidate, even after Akin’s outrageous “legitimate rape” comments
- He voted for the Paul Ryan budget plan to privatize Medicare
- He voted for SOPA and PIPA
- His campaign funds have been used towards things like a trip to Vegas, and “office supplies” purchases from Bass Pro Shops
- In his first run in 2010, he said that his first priority was to “defund Obamacare” despite that the ACA has positively affected thousands of people in his district
Billy Long is not right for Southwest Missouri and isn’t right for the country. But he is not running unopposed.
Jim Evans is running for MO-7 on the Democratic ticket. It’s an uphill battle. Southwest Missouri is notoriously Republican, with Springfield as home to the headquarters of the conservative Assemblies of God denomination and several affiliated universities tossing their political weight around.
Jim is a retired math teacher who worked hard to instate an International Baccalaureate Program and the Missouri A+ Program at a failing school in central Springfield. He has served in the military, still lives on the family farm that he grew up on, has run successful cattle and property management businesses, and was taught conservative money management skills from his depression-era parents. He is also a freethinker, with a deep investment in the environment. Jim drives a Chevy Volt which he charges at his 100% solar-powered home.
Jim is a champion of progressive causes in the greater Springfield area. He is a vocal advocate of a woman’s right to choose, while being dedicated to lowering abortion rates by making contraceptives more accessible. He has led town halls in favor of gay rights, environmentalism, single-payer healthcare, and higher education funding.
In short, he is the perfect mixture of the traditional fiscal values of the Ozarks and the progressive ideas of the up-and-coming generations being educated at the many colleges and universities in the Ozarks.
With the election less than two months away, we’ve still got a long way to go. Billy Long has us outspent by tens of thousands of dollars, and has much of the political capital of a Republican incumbent in a Republican district. But there is still a serious chance we can win this. Southwest Missouri has become fed up with “Mr. Fed Up” and is desperate for another option. Many hardcore conservatives will be opting not to vote in the House race at all. Every Missouri Democrat will be out to defend Claire McCaskill in the Senate race to keep Akin from representing us.
If we can get national support from liberals and Democrats to boost our local visibility, we’ve got this. But we need your help:
Visit our website and then like us on Facebook to count yourself among Jim’s supporters. If you can spare it, donate $3 or $5 to help us towards our goal of getting our ads out on the radio before the election.
Together, we can prove that the Tea Party Republicans do not represent all of Missouri.
![A national leader on energy and the environment since his first election to the U.S. House in 1976, Congressman Ed Markey is now running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator John Kerry.
Ed Markey is one of the strongest champions we have in Washington fighting the climate crisis. He co-authored and introduced the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) in 2009, during which he chaired the powerful Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the House Energy & Commerce Committee.
He also chaired the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming from 2007-2011, which held 80 hearings and briefings and contributed to the advancement of smarter energy and climate policies, including the first increase in fuel economy standards in three decades. As a response to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Rep. Markey has been a leading voice for holding BP accountable for the disaster it created as well as reforming offshore drilling to incorporate lessons learned from the spill.
A member of the Natural Resources Committee since 1976 and its current Ranking Member, Markey has also pushed to protect public lands, leading the fight to permanently protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
[This info comes from an email sent by the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund.]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/709c59a3c0b9d198552eccfc736363ee/tumblr_mgi2q8NPoW1qd0sg1o1_250.png)
