Missouri Congressman Jason Smith Endorses Rubio October 22, 2015

(AP) – Missouri’s Republican U.S. Rep. Jason Smith is backing presidential hopeful Marco Rubio.

Smith said in a statement Thursday that the country needs a “new generation of leadership” and said Rubio has his full support.

Rubio is touting himself as a fresh face for the GOP and won his Senate seat in 2010 as a tea party favorite.

Smith also was elected with some tea party backing when voters picked him in a special election in 2013 to represent southeast Missouri’s 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House.

Smith’s endorsement of Rubio follows public support from state House Speaker Todd Richardson, another prominent Missouri politician.

Richardson is chairman of Rubio’s campaign in Missouri.

Nixon Wins 1st Round in Court Battle Over Special Elections February 19, 2014

(AP) – Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon prevailed Tuesday against a lawsuit that sought to compel him to more quickly set special elections for vacant legislative seats.

Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green provided no reasoning in his one-sentence written decision that denied a request from 10 Missouri residents for a court order for Nixon to immediately set special election dates. An attorney for the plaintiffs said they planned to appeal to the Western District state Court of Appeals in attempt to force Nixon to set April special elections for four vacant legislative seats.

After the lawsuit was filed in early January, Nixon set August special elections for three vacant House seats. But he still has not called a special election to fill a seat vacated when he appointed state Sen. Ryan McKenna as labor department director.

The lawsuit asserted Nixon was shirking his duties by not promptly scheduling special elections.

The Missouri Constitution gives the governor the power to set special elections for vacant legislative seats. A state law says the governor “shall, without delay, issue a writ of election” to fill vacant legislative seats.

One of the House seats has been empty since last June, when then-Rep. Jason Smith, R-Salem, resigned following his victory in a special election for Congress. The other two House seats and the Senate seat have been vacant since December.

As a result of the vacancies, House Republicans now hold 108-52 majority over Democrats – one vote shy of the two-thirds requirement needed to override gubernatorial vetoes. Senate Republicans hold a 24-9 majority – one more vote than needed for veto overrides.

Four Area Reps Want Congressional Debate Before Syrian Strike August 29, 2013

Four members of the Kansas and Missouri Congressional delegations have signed a letter to President Obama calling for Congressional debate before any military strike against Syria.
The four are Rep. Kevin Yoder Ks-3. (Johnson & Wyandotte County in suburban Kansas City); Rep. Lynn Jenkins Ks-2 (Eastern Kansas); Rep. Billy Long Mo-7 (SW Missouri); Rep. Jason Smith Mo-8 (SE Missouri).
The letters says “Engaging our military when no direct threat to the United states exists,” violates the conditions of the use of military force under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, according to the letter.
More than 100 members of Congress, including 18 Democrats, signed the letter to Obama.
It says if the president thinks military action is necessary, Congress can reconvene quickly at his request for a debate.
The letters says Congress is “willing to share the burden of decisions” that may be needed in what the Representatives call ‘the quickly escalating Syrian conflict”.

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Jason Smith Cruises to Easy Win in Mo-8 Special Election June 4, 2013

Congressman-elect Jason Smith

Missouri House Pro tem Jason Smith won an easy victory Tuesday in a special election in southeast Missouri for the Mo-8 seat to Congress.
Smith had been expected to win in a heavily Republican district.
“I don’t come from a family of a lot, but we’ve learned a lot of lessons,” Smith said, according to PoliticMO. “This is too good – a country boy from Dent County is going to Washington.”
The 32-year old Republican’s landslide makes him the overwhelming favorite for a full term on his own in 2014.
Some members of the Missouri GOP were watching the point spread in the race closely for signs of vulnerability by Smith.
A tight race in the special election could trigger a Republican primary next summer when the seat is up for election again in the 2014 mid term elections.
Smith replaces long-time southeast Missouri Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson. After easily winning another term in 2012, Emerson suddenly announced she was leaving Congress to become a a lobbyist shortly after Congress convened in January.
Jo Ann Emerson was elected to Congress after the death of her husband, former Representative Bill Emerson, who also held the southeast Missouri seat to Washington for years.
Smith was nominated by Mo-8 Republicans leaders over a crowded field of more experienced southeast Missouri politicians including current Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder.
Smith will be a more conservative Member of Congress than Emerson, who was in the GOP’s moderate wing.
Smith is a hawk on the federal budget and had the backing in the special election from conservatives like Sarah Palin and former Presidential candidate Rick Santorum, who won the 2012 Missouri presidential primary.
Smith told PoliticMO he would fly to Washington on Wednesday to be sworn in by House Speaker John Boehner.
8th District
100.0% Reporting
J. Smith GOP 67.3% 42,145
S. Hodges Dem 27.5% 17,203
D. Enyart CST 3.6% 2,265
B. Slantz Lib 1.5% 968

Mo-8 Special Election for Congress Today June 4, 2013

Steve Hodges

Jason Smith

Voters in southeast Missouri pick a new Member of Congress today.
The special Mo-8 election pits heavily favored Republican St. Rep. Jason Smith against another state representative, Democrat Steve Hodges and two third-party candidates.
Former GOP nominee Mitt Romney carried Mo-8 with nearly 2/3 of the votes in the presidential election.
The Mo-8 district is a large one. It covers southeast Missouri and ranges from Jefferson County near St. Louis over to south central Missouri.
The winner replaces former Republican Representative Jo Ann Emerson who resigned suddenly late last year, after winning re-election. Emerson has taken a job as a lobbyist.
The 32-year old Smith would b e one of the youngest Members of Congress, if he’s elected. He is considered more conservative than Emerson, who held the seat for years.
Both candidates were nominated by party leaders earlier this spring, rather than winning conventional primary battles. The GOP field was crowded with several candidates with backgrounds in Missouri politics, including Lt. Governor Peter Kinder, also from southeast Missouri.
If Smith wins, as expected, MO-8 Republicans will look at his victory margin to see if he is strong enough to withstand a primary challenge next summer ahead of the 2014 mid-term elections. So GOP insiders will keep a close eye on the point spread.
Other candidates on the ballot today include Constitution Party candidate Doug Enyart, Libertarian Bill Slantz — and two write-in candidates — Thomas Brown and Dr. Robert George, according to the Southeast Missourian newspaper.
Polls are open until 7pm.