The Missouri Congressional race most closely watched, both by Missourians and those outside the state, might very well be the 9th District contest in northeast Missouri, in which a vacancy was created by Congressman Kenny Hulshof’s decision to run for Governor.
But there’s another contest in the Show-Me State that is getting a lot of attention. It’s the 6th District race in northwest Missouri, where incumbent Republican Sam Graves is facing a tough challenge from Democrat Kay Barnes , the former Mayor of Kansas City.
Part of the campaign has focused on ideological differences between the two, with Graves saying he represents the conservative values of the people of the district, while saying Barnes is too liberal. Barnes counters by saying she is a moderate who is in touch with the hard working people of the district, adding Graves is too closely aligned with the Bush Administration.
Energy has also been an issue in this campaign, with Graves saying Barnes refuses to embrace domestic options, like drilling for more oil, to address America’s energy needs. Barnes says she does want to address those needs, but prefers to do so with clean alternatives.