Saint Louis, Mo. — The three candidates vying for the Republican nomination in an uncontested general election met and debated last week in an effort to set themselves apart from their opponents at a debate sponsored by The Missouri Times.
Rep. Chuck Gatschenberger and former Representatives Vicki Schneider and Bob Onder were featured in the debate that touched on a number of Republican issues including guns, tax cuts, abortion and more. Each candidate managed to walk away with at least one positive bump from the debate.
Schneider will likely reach voters with the personal touch she has for several of her legislative positions. She championed an Amber Alert bill in her first legislative session. The bill was particularly close to her heart because, as she told the audience, she was abducted as a child.
When the conversation turned toward pro-life issues — specifically a recent veto from Gov. Jay Nixon on a bill mandating a 72 hour waiting period before receiving an abortion — Schneider once again reiterated her personal connection with the issue.
“I was 17 when I got pregnant and I understand everything about it,” Schneider said. “I was in the same boat as a lot of girls. You can’t think emotionally when caught up in this. You need more time than 72 hours to end a baby’s life.
Former state representative and congressional candidate Bob Onder marked his territory as perhaps the most well-polished candidate on camera, joining his fellow Republicans in supporting further tax cut legislation.
“Taxes are an issue of liberty,” Onder said. “Missouri is burdened with oppressive taxes, every year, Missourians work from January 1 to April 18th to pay taxes to the government.”
Gatschenberger leaned heavily on his legislative record, reminding listeners that he fought to lower the minimum age to apply for a CCW permit from 23 to 21 and expanded the “Castle doctrine” in the state.
“As long as Obama and Nixon are in there, they are going to find a way to erode your gun rights,” Gatschenberger said. “The legislature always has to be on guard to actually defend against that.”
All three candidates agreed on the need for further tax cuts. Each former lawmaker said they supported 2nd Amendment rights, but declined to identify a particular new law that would be necessary to enhance those rights in Missouri. And each appeared in lockstep on the contentious issue of Medicaid expansion. All three candidates said expansion of Medicaid eligibility couldn’t be considered until the program undergoes major reforms.
Collin Reischman was the Managing Editor for The Missouri Times, and a graduate of Webster University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.
