SALEM, Mo. — The agricultural Dent County setting appeared notably becoming for the U.S. Senate candidate who just lately got here to city. Huge spherical bales of hay within the fields. Cattle auctioned off at market. Tractors, trailers, church buildings.
Numerous Republicans round who like the federal government lean and the army mighty.
Vicky Hartzler suits in right here.
“I’m only a farm woman from Archie, Missouri,” Hartzler instructed a crowd of fifty individuals who’d come to the Smith Valley Angus showroom flooring to hearken to her stump speech for the primary time.
Hartzler wasn’t fazed by the livestock urine stains on the concrete platform the place she stood. And he or she’s well-versed within the army. She’s in her sixth time period representing Missouri’s 4th Congressional District, which incorporates close by Fort Leonard Wooden, an Military coaching publish, and Whiteman Air Pressure Base, dwelling of the B-2 stealth bombers.
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In Washington, she’s been a member of the Home Armed Providers and Agriculture committees, whereas additionally championing conservative causes on the tradition entrance.
“We have to rise up for what we imagine right here,” she mentioned. “We have to not solely have the fitting insurance policies and the fitting folks, however I’d say, too, we’d like prayer. And I’d ask you to affix me in praying for our nation. Finally that’s what’s going to maintain us secure and safe and protect our freedoms for the long run.”
Hartzler, 61, mentioned she felt like certainly one of them. Though she was talking exterior of her district, she mentioned, she would struggle for them within the Senate. Nonetheless, her reception appeared a bit frosty. Ominous banners hanging from the ceiling summed up a part of the problem in a single phrase: Trump.
In a subject of 21 Republicans vying for the seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, Hartzler has been polling close to the entrance finish of the pack for the Aug. 2 major. Then, on July 8, the previous president dropped a social media bomb on Hartzler’s plans like a highschool bully.
“You may neglect about Vicky Hartzler for the Senate from the Nice State of Missouri,” Trump wrote in his publish. “She known as me this morning asking for my Endorsement, a lot as she has on many different events. I used to be something however constructive in that I don’t suppose she has what it takes to tackle the Radical Left Democrats, along with their companion within the destruction of our Nation, the Pretend Information Media and, in fact, the misleading & silly RINOs.”
After lambasting “Republicans in Title Solely,” Trump concluded: “I used to be very good to Vicky on the decision, however will NOT BE ENDORSING HER FOR THE SENATE!”
It was a peculiar twist within the race. Former governor Eric Greitens, Missouri Lawyer Common Eric Schmitt and U.S. Rep. Billy Lengthy — Hartzler’s important competitors on the Republican aspect of the first — even have sought Trump’s endorsement. Whereas Trump hasn’t dedicated to any of them, his publicized lack of dedication to Hartzler was a notable hit.
Greitens and Schmitt have already got statewide title recognition. Hartzler wants all the assistance she will be able to get to win the very best proportion of Republican votes within the major to go on to the final election in November.
In her stump speech, she didn’t converse immediately concerning the non-endorsement, nor did it come up within the questions. However out within the viewers, Matthew Williams instructed the Submit-Dispatch that everybody was conscious of the brouhaha.
“He might have achieved it a bit extra respectful, but it surely’s additionally Donald Trump,” mentioned Williams, 38, of Steelville, who’s operating for state consultant. “He says what he says and that’s form of what everyone likes about him, and that’s what we voted for.”
Hartzler instructed the Submit-Dispatch in an interview after the speech that she didn’t see the non-endorsement coming. Throughout the name with Trump that day, she mentioned she gave him an replace on the race, instructed him she was main.
“I don’t wish to get within the particulars, but it surely was a really constructive dialog,” she mentioned. “So I used to be, you understand, form of stunned.”
She mentioned she hadn’t spoken to Trump since and didn’t know his motivation.
“I believe he listened to a few of my opponents’ lies and acquired into them, which is unlucky,” she mentioned.
Hartzler has acquired endorsements from U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, former U.S. Sen. Christopher “Package” Bond, the Missouri Farm Bureau and different state agricultural teams. However she mentioned voters imply essentially the most to her.
“I actually imagine that the endorsement that counts is the one from Missourians,” she mentioned, vowing to “redouble” her efforts and “work even tougher” to achieve folks earlier than the election.
Mike Homeyer, 65, chairman of the Dent County Republican Central Committee, which hosted the occasion, mentioned invites have been despatched to all of the main candidates. Hartzler was the one one who confirmed up in Salem.
Requested if he thinks Hartzler is able to taking over the “radical Left,” he mentioned: “Josh Hawley thinks she will be able to tackle the novel Left. I imply he is aware of extra about what’s happening inside that constructing than I do. I believe Hawley’s endorsement most likely carries extra weight than a Trump endorsement would.”
Then why weren’t there Hawley banners hanging from the ceiling?
“I’ve Hawley indicators in my store able to go up for his subsequent election,” Homeyer mentioned. “And you understand what, these folks on this county will vote for Trump once more if he runs irrespective of who he endorses for Senate.”
Craig Smith, 57, a Marine veteran and insurance coverage agent, voted for Trump however mentioned Trump’s non-endorsement of Hartzler didn’t matter to him.
“I’m able to making up my very own thoughts,” he mentioned.
In marketing campaign advertisements, Greitens, enjoying the function of presidency outsider, blows issues up and hunts fellow Republicans who’ve grown tender. Schmitt, who will get simple publicity from legislation and order lawsuits he recordsdata as legal professional normal, brandishes a torch in a single advert, swings a baseball bat in one other. Hartzler is large on weapons, however she hasn’t been as explosive.
GOP candidates within the race for U.S. Senate, from left, Missouri Lawyer Common Eric Schmitt, Mo. U.S. Rep. Billy Lengthy, Mo. U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, and lawyer Mark McCloskey held a discussion board, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022 on the 2022 Missouri Lincoln Days Republican gathering on the St. Charles Conference Middle. Photograph by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com
“It appears to me that her brawn is her means to articulate her coverage targets,” Robynn Kuhlmann, an affiliate professor of political science at College of Central Missouri, instructed the Submit-Dispatch by phone.
“They’re distinctly completely different,” she added concerning the candidates, “but taken collectively it embodies the place the Republican Celebration is right this moment.”
Advocate for agriculture
Earlier than politics, Hartzler taught dwelling economics in Lebanon and Belton.
“We’re falling behind different international locations in our lecturers and that considerations me,” she mentioned in Salem. “That’s why I proceed to be a robust advocate for us instructing the ABCs and never CRT (vital race idea). We’d like our youngsters to be studying math and science and studying. These basic items they’ll want in life.”
Additionally a former monitor coach, she mentioned she’s “very involved about this new gender ideology, the indoctrination that’s being put upon our youngsters.” Early on within the Senate race, her marketing campaign was suspended from Twitter for criticizing a transgender swimmer on the College of Pennsylvania.
“I gained’t look away whereas woke liberals destroy ladies’s sports activities,” she says within the advert.
Hartzler and her husband have one adopted daughter who’s an elementary faculty trainer. The Hartzlers farm row crops and run a cow-calf operation close to Harrisonville. Additionally they run 5 farm gear shops in Missouri and Kansas that make use of about 75 folks. Hartzler attends a non-denominational Christian church.
She received her begin in politics as a state consultant within the Nineties. Then, as a spokeswoman for the Coalition to Shield Marriage in Missouri, she fought in opposition to homosexual marriage. In 2010, when the Tea Celebration motion was in full swing, she jumped into the race in opposition to U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton, the highly effective Home Armed Providers Committee Chairman, who, as a Democrat, represented Missouri’s Fourth District since 1977.
“That was an enormous determination,” she mentioned, one thing she and her husband prayed about. “However we determined that he was casting our vote with Nancy Pelosi, and I grew to become so involved when she grew to become speaker of the Home.”
After profitable the nine-way Republican major, underfunded Hartzler beat Skelton.
“This wasn’t about me. This was about we — we the folks of the Fourth District,” Hartzler mentioned. “We, collectively, mentioned it’s time to eliminate Nancy Pelosi. It’s a time to step up and struggle for our nation and we did it.”
With Democrats within the majority, Pelosi is Home speaker once more. Hartzler is certainly one of few farmers left in Congress.
“There’s not many individuals there who’ve a direct understanding of agriculture, and even our rural lifestyle,” she mentioned.
She’s advocated for increasing broadband into remoted areas of the state, together with her own residence, that don’t have high-speed web, whereas extra populated areas do.
“It’s a disparity, and we noticed that in COVID,” she mentioned. “What number of children went dwelling from faculty, they couldn’t entry their homework. We had senior residents that couldn’t entry telehealth. … A number of companies aren’t capable of come to our communities.”
She mentioned rural broadband is “the important thing to revitalizing the agricultural a part of Missouri.”
“Persons are getting out of cities, proper?” she mentioned. “They wish to reside out right here within the nation, and if they will entry high-speed web, I believe we’re going to see a return of quite a lot of companies and jobs, and our youngsters will have the ability to keep right here and never really feel like they’ve to depart to discover a new job.”
She mentioned the Biden administration and liberals on the West and East coasts are “ruining every part,” together with U.S. power manufacturing, securing the southern border and inflation.
“We have to get folks again to work,” she mentioned, including that the Mississippi and Missouri rivers must be higher utilized to assist manufacturing in state.
Ranked one of the crucial conservative members of the Home, she says she additionally voted with President Trump 95% of the time.
Missouri GOP major candidate for U.S. Senate Vicky Hartzler information a message on Thursday, July 7, 2022, throughout a meet and greet with voters and social gathering members at Cornerstone Espresso and Confections in Troy, Mo.
Photograph by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
Although she voted to not certify the 2020 presidential election outcomes, she described the mayhem on Jan. 6 on the U.S. Capitol as “thuggery” that shouldn’t go unpunished.
“What started as a day devoted to deliberating over our election course of rapidly became one of many darkest days in our nation’s historical past,” she mentioned in a press release then, including: “President Trump’s unpresidential remarks right this moment makes it onerous to vote to object.”
‘Heartland values’
In one other current marketing campaign cease in Troy, about 10 folks confirmed as much as meet Hartzler at Cornerstone Espresso and Confections.
The proprietor, Kim Silverberg, mentioned Hartzler’s congressional workers has tried to assist her convey dwelling two youngsters she and her husband adopted from Uganda. They’re nonetheless hung up within the course of.
“They received to the underside of why the State Division was telling us no,” mentioned Silverberg, 59. “She was the one one who provided to assist, and I’m not even in her district.”
“That’s why we’re right here, is to assist folks,” Hartzler instructed her.
She mentioned there’s extra work to do.
“I wish to construct up a motion of Missourians who wish to take our nation again,” she mentioned. “We now have the heartland values the nation wants.”
Missouri GOP major candidate for U.S. Senate Vicky Hartzler talks with Libby and Gary Grunick on Thursday, July 7, 2022, throughout a meet and greet with voters and social gathering members at Cornerstone Espresso and Confections in Troy, Mo. Gary Grunick is the chair of the Lincoln County Republican Membership.
Photograph by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
She reiterated her dedication to the unborn, telling reporters that the one exception to abortion is for the well being of the mom.
What about in instances of rape and incest?
“It’s a really powerful scenario,” she mentioned. “I’m very supportive of being pregnant care facilities. They arrive alongside moms and assist them, however I don’t imagine any little one deserves to die due to the sins of the daddy.”
Requested about being one of many solely ladies within the race, she mentioned: “I’ve at all times hoped and thought that folks will vote for me as a result of I’m the perfect certified, not due to my gender.”
She anticipated the Republican major to be an in depth race to the end. There are marketing campaign stops forward.
“We’re incomes votes one individual at a time by going all around the state visiting with folks,” she mentioned.
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