Family Values Candidates Clash In 16th Senate District Race

Special elections scheduled for next Tuesday will fill two vacancies in the State Senate. One of those contests is being held to find a successor to Sarah Steelman, who stepped down from the Senate after being elected State Treasurer. The 16th District is made up of eight counties in mid-Missouri. It’s a conservative region – strong on traditional values. State Representative Frank Barnitz, a farmer from Lake Spring, is the Democratic candidate who says he shares those values. Republican Bill Hickle, a lawyer and a municipal judge in Rolla, embraces those traditional values, too. He adds voters also like the idea that Republicans in the Legislature and the Governor’s Office are controlling spending. Both Barnitz and Hickle call themselves pro-life and pro-Second Amendment. They list quality education and school funding among their top priorities. Tuesday’s 16th District contest is one of three special elections that day to fill vacancies in the General Assembly.