AFFTON, Mo. – Rep. Bob Burns should be safe in a reliably Democratic district, but Landry Sorbel, his Republican challenger, hopes to make waves in House District 93 in an outsider year.
Burns has run dominant races in the past. In 2014, he won his race with 59 percent of the vote. Perhaps more relevant this year, in 2012’s presidential election cycle, he won with 65 percent of the vote.
On the fundraising front, Burns also holds an edge. His cash-on-hand advantage, as of the 30 day after primary report, stood at $17,700 to $1,350.
Still, Burns acknowledges that anything can happen and repeatedly reiterated that he’d be working hard to ensure his re-election.
“In this business, you only run one of two ways: you run unopposed or you run scared,” he said. “So we always work hard here.”
Sorbel hopes that he’s the one to have Burns running scared and said he’s implementing a grassroots campaign while hoping to cash in on the outsider craze.
“I believe we have a unique year of political outsiders running for public office, and I believe it is my year to show my district that a young, motivated, political outsider can help bring good change,” he said.
Sorbel is a political neophyte who felt called to make the district better. He’s the son of an Army Ranger and a former social worker. Now he’s a business man. He started Ordello, which helps restaurants run their online ordering systems.
“I decided to run this year because I think it is time for people of my generation to speak up and voice new ideals that will push Missouri forward,” Sorbel said. “You see career politicians in office, and when their term is up they jump right to the next office. The positions may change, but the ideas are stagnated. When you get new politicians in office, you get new ideas and opinions that will steer our course into the future.”
But as not just a newcomer to politics, but a relative newcomer to the district, Sorbel goes up against an incumbent who has been entrenched in the area his entire life.
Burns has been a baseball coach, driven kids to church, been a Cub Scout leader and served on the Affton school board over 50 adult years in the community.
“I do a lot in this community,” he said. “I’m a public servant. My wife, Dianne, and I, we’ve been involved with community service for the full 50 years we’ve been married.”
Burns presents a difficult challenge for Sorbel. But Sorbel thinks he has the network behind him to succeed as well, despite having to learn a couple things about campaigning.
“I will be honest when I first started this campaign I believed I could do anything without money. That is not the case,” he said. “I began with a lower campaign account, but have progressively increased my account as the months have gone on.”
He’s started utilizing friends and new acquaintances to create posters and yard signs and knock doors. But his campaigning will be interrupted by another event in October: his wedding.
“I am completely thankful for my beautiful fiancé, soon-to-be wife-October 1st, Katie Friedmeyer who has planned fundraising events from July until October to help increase my campaign account,” he said.
Sorbel thinks he could better represent the district than Burns, in part just by being a part of the Republican majority.
But there’s another pitfall for a Republican running in the district this season: the state Senate race. Sen. Scott Sifton is expected to have a tight reelection battle against Dr. Randy Jotte, which could motivate Burns and other Democrats to work harder to turn out their voters.
“Scott Sifton’s the senator for our area, and Scott’s working real hard. So we’re all working real hard together,” Burns said.
