Penny Young Nance, president and CEO of Concerned Women for America (CWA) has backed Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler in her bid for U.S. Senate.
Nance, who was a member of former President Donald Trump’s Life Advisory Council, called Hartzler a “courageous warrior who fights for Missouri families.” The pair have become both friends and political allies over the years since Hartzler first ran for Congress, Nance said.
“She is a woman of great faith and deep conviction. I have watched Vicky fight tirelessly for the people of her district, and now I am excited to support her as she seeks to represent the entire state of Missouri,” Nance said. “Vicky’s values are unwavering; her heart is true, and her spirit is joyfully resolute. She is a dedicated public servant who cares not for the swamp but instead stands courageously for values and the people of Missouri.”
“I am proud to call Vicky a friend and lend my support to her candidacy to become the first woman Republican U.S. Senator from the great state of Missouri,” Nance added.
Based in Washington, D.C., CWA is a socially conservative non-profit that advocates for cultural and women’s issues, particularly when it comes to abortion. The mission of CWA notes the group is focused on Biblical values.
“I am running for U.S. Senate to preserve the same values and freedoms that Penny has consistently defended her entire career,” Hartzler said. “Penny is a trail-blazer and inspiration, not only to me but the entire faith community. I am honored and humbled to receive her support in my campaign for U.S. Senate and proud to continue the fight alongside her because there is no greater value to protect than our constitutional right to life.”
Hartzler’s campaign said she has also received endorsements from Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, and Maggie’s List, a federal PAC that works to elect conservative women.
Hartzler launched her candidacy for U.S. Senate in June — and with Congresswoman Ann Wagner deciding to run for re-election, she is the only female GOP contender for the seat.
Unlike other candidates, Hartzler didn’t make the campaign official on cable news. Instead, she traveled back to Missouri, telling those gathered at the Frontier Justice shooting range in Lee’s Summit she was running for the open Senate seat.
A social conservative, Hartzler represents a large and diverse swatch of Missouri in Congress, from the Columbia area sweeping west to just below Kansas City and down to Pittsburg and Lebanon, settling north of Springfield. Her journey to Congress came with the narrow defeat of longtime incumbent Congressman Ike Skelton. She is the second Republican woman elected to Congress in Missouri and often draws on her faith.
“I did a lot of praying and thinking about [running for Congress]. I was very concerned about the direction our country was going in and the leadership in Congress and how our representative was casting his vote with [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi and policies that we did not believe in here in Missouri,” Hartzler told The Missouri Times earlier this year. “I felt like it was time to step back in and make a difference.”
Hartzler is a former home economics teacher and has a farm in Cass County along with her husband. They raise corn, soybeans, and wheat on their farm along with a cow-calf operation.
Hartzler is now in her 11th year in Congress. She has worked to ensure Gold Star families receive full insurance benefits and raise awareness about the “threat of China.” She’s advocated for religious liberties and is the only member of the Missouri congressional delegation to sit on the Agriculture Committee this year. Following the attacks on Afghanistan in which 13 U.S. service members were last week, Hartzler said she wants the Armed Services Committee to investigate.
Kaitlyn Schallhorn was the editor in chief of The Missouri Times from 2020-2022. She joined the newspaper in early 2019 after working as a reporter for Fox News in New York City.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has covered political campaigns across the U.S., including the 2016 presidential election, and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the Middle East.
She is a native of Missouri who studied journalism at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She is also an alumna of the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
Contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com.
