Who is running for CD 4 in Missouri to replace Hartzler?
It didnt take long after Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler announced her candidacy for the open U.S. Senate seat for Republicans to launch their own campaigns to replace her. Missouris 4th congressional district  as it stands now  is a large and diverse expanse of the state, from Columbia sweeping west to just below Kansas City, stretching down to Pittsburg and Lebanon, and settling north of Springfield. It includes both Whiteman Air Force Base in Johnson County and Fort Leanord Wood in Pulaski County. A social conservative, Hartzler was the second Republican woman elected to Congress from Missouri and assumed office in 2011. Thus far, four Republicans have launched campaigns to replace Hartzler in Congress, and Senate Majority Floor Leader Caleb Rowden said hes seriously considering jumping into the race. Heres a look at who they are in alphabetical order. (This story will be updated.) Taylor Burks  A lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves, Taylor Burks filed with the FEC to run for the seat on July 1 and has a campaign launch planned for later in the month at a popular pizza joint in Columbia. He said he will draw on his record outside of politics during his campaign. Burks also plans to publicly pledge to serve no more than 10 years in the U.S. House. Burks is a former Boone County clerk  appointed by former Gov. Eric Greitens and the first Republican to serve in that position  who has led the Divison of Labor Standards (under the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations) since January 2018. He grew up in the Ozarks and was raised on his familys farm before serving three combat deployments with the U.S. Navy. Ed Emery  Former state Sen. Ed Emery was the first out of the gate to announce his candidacy for the seat in mid-June. From Vernon County, Emery served four terms in the House before moving across the building to the upper chamber. He chaired the Senate Government Reform Committee and as well as the Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight Committee. It is not ambition that drives me, but what I see as the clear abandonment at the federal level of Biblical principles, national heritage, common sense, and the values that have made America great, Emery said. The contempt for the truth and the perversion of justice must not go on.  Emerys Senate district encompassed Barton, Bates, Cass, Henry, and Vernon counties. Ryan Johnson  Cass County associate commissioner Ryan Johnson announced his candidacy on June 17. He unseated an incumbent commissioner last year  in what was his first political campaign  in his bid for the Cass County Commission seat. After careful thought and prayer, Ive decided to run for this seat, Johnson said. This district needs strong, uncompromising conservative leadership and proven active-duty military experience. I will bring those qualities to Congress and help stop the Biden administrations socialist agenda.  A lifelong Missourian, Johnson served in both the Army and Coast Guard, spending eight years in active duty. Hes worked for Congressman Sam Graves and led the Missouri Alliance for Freedom, a nonprofit conservative advocacy group. Sara Walsh  State Rep. Sara Walsh kicked off her candidacy to succeed Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler on July 7. She has served HD 50 in the legislature  which encompasses parts of Boone, Cole, Cooper, and Moniteau counties  since 2017. My life is proof that in America anything is possible. But the American dream is under attack by socialists and career politicians in Washington, D.C., Walsh said. Im running for Congress to defend the American dream and to ensure our kids and grandkids have the same opportunities we had.  Walsh is the chair of the Consent and House Procedure Committee as well as the Subcommittee on Appropriations  Public Safety, Corrections, Transportation and Revenue. Prior to her time in the General Assembly, Walsh served as a Member Services Coordinator for the Missouri Pharmacy Association, a staff auditor in the Auditors Office, and the Program and Outreach Manager for the National Newspaper Association, among other things.