About 70 people turned out to hear state and local Republican candidates voice their platforms at a candidate’s fair, hosted by the Republican Women of Newton County and the Newton County Republican Central Committee and held at the Lampo Building.

Each candidate had three minutes to speak, then met with the public at tables after the event to answer questions. Candidates spoke in ballot order, as determined by the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office and Newton County Clerk Kay Baum.

Governor’s race

Leading the forum were Sarah Steelman, the current state treasurer who is running for governor, and state Sen. Michael Gibbons, who is seeking election to the state attorney general’s office.

Steelman, whose main opposition in the Aug. 5 Republican primary election is Congressman Kenny Hulshof, described herself as a fiscal conservative who wanted to work on lowering taxes for Missouri families, repealing the ethanol mandate in an effort to lower gasoline and grocery prices, and fining companies who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

“Illegal immigration is a problem in our country because the federal government has not done anything about it,” she said. “I want to take away the economic incentive for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.”

She said she would do that by imposing hefty fines to companies which hire illegal immigrants. These fines, she said, would offset money saved by hiring illegal workers.

She said she also wanted to provide tax relief to Missourians by raising the personal exemption.

“I believe as a fiscal conservative that you are better off spending your money than the government spending your money,” she said.

If she wins the August primary, Steelman will face current Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon in November.

Attorney general

Gibbons said he saw the attorney general’s office as being chiefly about justice.

“People need to see and know that decisions are made the right way,” he said. “I want to avoid the appearance of impropriety. This office is about the people, representing the people, not the special interests.”

Gibbons, who currently serves as Senate President Pro Tem, is a lifelong resident of Kirkwood, Mo., and began his public service career in 1986 as a member of the Kirkwood City Council. An attorney, Kirkwood served eight years as a state rep and is in his second term in the state senate. He is unopposed in the August primary, and will face one of four Democratic challengers in November. Democrats running for the spot being vacated by Nixon include Margaret Donnelly, Jeff Harris, Chris Koster and Molly Williams.

Newton County commission, District 2

Speaking briefly as “no one likes long-winded politicians,” Jarod Kennedy, a challenger for the District 2 county commission seat, recounted his experience working for Al’s Gas in Neosho for 17 years.

“It taught me to put the customer first and I learned to fix problems,” he said. “I believe I can talk to anybody on any given subject any given day.”

The incumbent for the seat, Jack Sanders, said he was proud to have served the county the past eight years, and said he was most proud of the way three county entities responded to natural disasters and emergencies over the past year and a half.
These included the 911 call center, Newton County Emergency Management and the County Common Road District.

Sanders then talked about his years of experience on the commission.

“I’ve proven I can do the job in the best interests of the citizens of Newton County,” he said. “I will work hard for you, as I have the past eight years.”

Newton County commission, District 1

Meanwhile, Granby native Tom Meadows, current owner of Creative Works Custom Woodworking, said he would bring his business acumen to the office of District 1 county commissioner. He is facing incumbent Jerry Black.

“We need to look to the future and be proactive, not reactive,” he said.

Meadows has lived in Newton County for 45 years and is a graduate of Granby High School. He attended Joplin Junior College and Crowder College and currently serves as board chairman of the Redings Mill Fire Protection District. For 27 years, he worked at Yellow Freight Systems.

Meanwhile Black, the former owner of Joplin’s Miner’s Ice Company, has served as District 1 Newton County Commissioner for eight years, and previously served on the Joplin R-8 School Board for six years.

Black, a graduate of the University of Arkansas, said he brought knowledge and experience to the table eight years ago, and recounted what duties county commissioners have.

“I’ve spent a lot of time finding the best health care for our county employees we can,” he said.

He said since taking office, he and fellow commissioners Sanders and Jerry Carter have built up reserves for the relocation of the 911 center and, possibly, for building an addition to the Newton County Jail.

“There’s no substitute for experience,” he said in closing his remarks.

Newton county sheriff

The sheriff’s race could be one worth watching, as former Newton County deputy and special response team leader Mike Langland is squaring off against incumbent Sheriff Ken Copeland.

Langland began his career with the Newton County Sheriff’s Department as a reserve officer and jailer, working his way up through the ranks to patrol sergeant and commander of the special response team.

Since leaving the department, he has served as an international police adviser in Iraq for three years. Among his duties were advising the provincial police chief in matters ranging from administration to training more than 11,000 Iraqi police officers. Currently Langland is advising district police chiefs, working with a force of more than 1,600 Iraqi police.

During his speech, he stressed his training in homeland security.

“I’m the only candidate for sheriff that’s had any training in homeland security,” he said.

Langland said he noted a 76 percent turnover rate in deputies at the department, and stressed the sheriff was actually in the “people business.”

“As sheriff, I will allow all citizens in the office to voice their praise as well as their criticism,” he said.

Meanwhile, Copeland said since taking the office of sheriff four years ago, his department has solved every major crime which has come its way. He noted major crimes and disasters in the past four years, including 10 homicides and two tornadoes, the latest of which left 14 people dead.

“I’ve seen deaths, tragedy and lots of broken hearts,” he said. “But the citizens of Newton County are strong. I’ve seen you come together.

Copeland has 26 years of experience, including four as sheriff, five as chief deputy, and 17 years as a Joplin police officer. He has been an instructor in the criminal justice department of Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, and currently serves on the board of directors of seven community and civic organizations as well as law enforcement oversight boards.

“I understand the criminal element, and I understand the needs of victims,” he said.

Newton County assessor

Neosho Realtor Tami Renfro-Owens is challenging incumbent Gloria VanWinkle Gourley for the county assessor’s seat.

Renfro-Owens, who currently serves as vice president of the Republican Women of Newton County, promised if elected, she would ensure real estate property assessments reflected home values and were not excessive.

“I’m asking you to vote for a property owner’s advocate, not just an assessor,” she said.

Meanwhile, Gourley recounted some of her accomplishments as assessor, including instituting on-line filing, which she said is becoming a model for counties across the state. She also said she’d instituted an open door policy in the office and the mailing of reminder notices to late assessment sheet filers.

“Elected a person with experience in dealing with budget issues is a necessity,” she said.