JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – With the 98th General Assembly convening in a week, there will be several new faces – but some may come back to the Capitol in other capacities with local government.
- Kent Hampton, outgoing representative from the 151st District, is the upcoming county clerk for Dunklin County in Southeast Missouri.
- Shane Schoeller, former speaker pro tem of the House, is the new Green County Clerk.
- Ron Schieber, outgoing representative from Platte County, is the new Platte County Presiding Commissioner.
- Jerry Nolte, former representative from Clay County, is the new Clay County Commissioner after a competitive primary with the incumbent commissioner and general with former colleague Jay Swearingen.
- UPDATE: Former House Budget Chairman Rick Stream of Kirkwood is seeking the senate seat in the 15th District to replace Sen. Eric Schmitt in 2016.
Reasons these representatives sought local office? Family and term limits. Hampton’s home is closer to the Tennessee Capitol than Missouri’s. Schieber is the father of 4 children. Nolte and Schoeller termed out, but they’ve been rumored to reappear in contests for higher offices.
With counties and cities regularly visiting the Capitol to lobby their state compatriots, we are sure to see these representatives again.
Rachael Herndon was the editor at The Missouri Times and also produced This Week in Missouri Politics, published Missouri Times Magazine, and co-hosted the #MoLeg podcast. She joined The Missouri Times in 2014, returning to political reporting after working as a campaign and legislative staffer.
Rachael studied at the University of Missouri – Columbia. She lives in Jefferson City with her husband, Brandon, and their two children.
