A new political party will appear on Missouri’s ballot this year, the brainchild of a candidate hoping to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley in November.
Jared Young, an attorney and businessman from Webb City, last year announced he would run as an independent candidate in the Senate race. In April, he decided to instead submit signatures to create a new political organization, the Better Party, and invited other candidates to join.
Under Missouri law, an independent statewide candidate must submit 10,000 signatures from registered voters to the secretary of state’s office. That is the same number required to form a new political party.
Young submitted signatures April 19, and of 21,587 signatures checked, 10,696 were valid, Madison Walker, spokesman for the office, wrote in an email. The results were certified Wednesday.
Along with Young, the Better Party has nominated Blake Ashby of Ferguson as its candidate for the 1st Congressional District seat currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Cori Bush.
Those are the only two candidates the party will field this year. Candidate filings had to be submitted with the petitions, Walker wrote.
Young is campaigning as an alternative to politicians out-of-touch with voters.
“Both parties have become overly obsessed with holding onto or regaining power at all costs,” Young wrote on Facebook after the signatures were confirmed. “In their current form, they no longer represent the hopes and beliefs of most Americans.”
According to his first-quarter campaign finance report, Young has raised $364,377 for his campaign and had $110,650 on hand. Young will be listed fourth on the November ballot for Senate.
Hawley, unopposed for renomination, has raised $7.6 million since January 2023 for his campaign committee and had $5.5 million on hand March 31. Democrat Lucas Kunce leads a four-person field for the Aug. 6 primary with $7.7 million raised and $3.3 million on hand.
The other Democratic candidates are state Sen. Karla May of St. Louis, December Harmon of Columbia and Mita Biswas of St. Louis.
