(Be sure to check out our Election Day photo gallery)
SALEM, Mo. — Jason Smith paced across the campaign’s election night results hub before the polls closed, looking at the county-by-county papers his staff laid out that were waiting to be filled with incoming vote counts.
A half hour before the 7 p.m. closing time, Smith and his campaign, as well as a few friends, gathered in their temporary headquarters, waiting with bated breath.
“It feels like we did this not too long ago for you,” Smith joked to state GOP party executive Shane Schoeller, who came to the hub to support the campaign.
Leading up to polls closing, the campaign’s spirits stayed high.
About two hours later, as the majority of the precincts reported and the opponent, Democrat Steve Hodges, conceded the race via a call to Smith, the campaign showed up to Salem’s City Hall where hundreds of supporters gathered to congratulate the newly elected congressman for Missouri’s 8th District.
“We did it,” Smith said as he made his way around the room, hugging and shaking hands with the different supporters, friends and family.
The numbers were in and yes, with about a 2-to-1 ratio, they did it.
With all 462 precincts reporting, Smith took 42,145 votes to Hodges’ 17,203 votes — ending with about a 67 percent to 27 percent margin in Smith’s favor.
The 8th Congressional District seat has been vacant for 134 days as former congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson took an executive opportunity with the Rural Electric Cooperatives.
Between Emerson and her late husband, the seat has been Republican dominated since Bill Emerson’s 1980 win, and has especially shown during the last few major election days that the area has a strong conservative presence. During Jo Ann Emerson’s most recent election, she presented with around 70 percent of the vote from her district — numbers mirroring Smith’s in terms of the Republican turnout.
“It’s so overwhelming, the outpour of support from everyone here and throughout all 30 counties,” Smith told The Missouri Times late Tuesday night. “I mean, we almost won all 30 counties. I think we won 28, and were close in the other two. I’m just so blessed that our message of making Washington more like Missouri is resonating, and that people want a conservative in Washington.”
During his speech, Smith continued to tout the conservative ideas he’s discussed during his campaign. Repealing “Obamacare” and fighting for a “less-intrusive” government being the two issues that drew the most applause from the gathered supporters.
So now what?
Wednesday morning, Smith heads to Washington D.C. to be sworn in by the Speaker of the House and “hit the ground running,” something he told The Missouri Times he’s looking forward to and is prepared for.
However, conversation in and outside of Missouri’s Capitol about who might challenge Smith during the next general election has already started.
Smith won what proved to be a tough primary in February after receiving the majority of the votes from a special committee, but some of the people he ran against are rumored to have continued interest in pursuing the seat come the next election.
Principal among that group includes Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, former state Sen. Jason Crowell and Lloyd Smith, former Executive Director for the Missouri GOP, among others.
“I tweeted my congratulations and that’s about all I have to say,” Kinder told The Missouri Times Tuesday night. “It’s a great night for Jason, and he did a good job on the campaign.”
Neither Kinder or Smith wanted to comment about a potential race. Crowell couldn’t be reached.
The Hodges campaign couldn’t be reached for immediate contact Tuesday night. Be sure to check out The Missouri Times coming feature on Hodges’ campaign and race, defying what most anticipated a Democrat in such a conservative district would accomplish in terms of fundraising and more.
Ashley Jost is no longer with The Missouri Times. She worked as the executive editor for several months, and a reporter before that.
