From April 7 to August 4: What Happened, What's Coming, and Why Democrats Must Show Up
- Kal Inois
- Apr 8
- 8 min read
April 7 is behind us. The votes are counted. And while some results stung, the fight for this community —
for working people, for funded schools, for responsive government — does not stop at any single election.
August 4 is coming. This time we are not just voting on local measures. We are voting on who represents us in the United States Congress and the Missouri State Senate. We are voting on whether the people of southwest Missouri finally get a voice that works FOR them, instead of for the donor class, the M@G@ machine, and the †Rump regime that has spent every day in power making life harder for working families in communities exactly like ours.
SB 3 — The Property Tax Cap Passed. Here's What That Means.
The measure we urged a NO vote on passed in every county in this region — by significant margins [1]:
PART ONE: WHAT HAPPENED ON APRIL 7
County | YES Votes | NO Votes | YES % |
Jasper County | 6,193 | 3,752 | 62.3% |
Newton County | 2,866 | 1,350 | 68.0% |
Lawrence County | 1,982 | 1,289 | 60.6% |
McDonald County | 798 | 238 | 77.0% |
Vernon County | 2,555 | 1,283 | 66.6% |
This is a painful result. But it does not mean the people of this region do not care about their schools and fire departments. It means Republican legislators in Jefferson City wrote a deliberately confusing ballot measure, attached it to a property tax credit, and trusted that 'lower taxes' would carry it. They were right — this time.
Here is the contradiction that exposes exactly how misleading SB 3 was. On that exact same April 7 ballot, Jasper County voters also approved [1]:
Measure | Result | % |
Joplin Schools $40M Bond | PASSED | 75.9% |
Joplin Police and Fire Prop | PASSED | 78.8% |
Central Jasper Fire District Levy | PASSED | 54.7% |
Sarcoxie School District Levy | PASSED | 53.8% |
The same community that voted to cap property tax revenue voted overwhelmingly to fund schools, fire
departments, and police on the very same ballot. That is not voter hypocrisy. That is the direct result of
misleading ballot language designed to hide what SB 3 actually does to those same institutions.
The consequences are real and coming. As fire district officials in comparable Missouri counties have warned, a revenue cap of this kind can require furloughing firefighters, reducing staffed apparatus, lengthening response times, and curtailing fire prevention programs — consequences directly tied to higher civilian fatalities, greater injuries, and increased property loss [2].
SB 3 was not written for communities like ours. It was written to keep a billionaire football team in Missouri. The Kansas City Chiefs left for Kansas anyway [3]. Our communities are now living with the consequences of legislation that failed its original purpose.
Critically: the constitutional lawsuit challenging SB 3 is still alive. It is working through Cole County Circuit Court. If the court rules SB 3 unconstitutional, these election results could be invalidated entirely.
Stay informed through the Missouri Municipal League at mocities.com.
The Joplin City Council
Three general seats were on the ballot. With 100% reporting, but still officially uncalled at the time of this newsletter, the results stand as follows [1]:
Candidate | Votes | % | Status |
Josh DeTar | 2,998 | 22.29% | Race Not Called |
Mary A. Price | 2,957 | 21.99% | Race Not Called |
Brian Joseph Cowles Sr. | 2,048 | 15.23% | Race Not Called |
Natasha Klue-Michael | 1,959 | 14.57% | 89 votes behind 3rd |
Jamie Hammond | 1,846 | 13.73% | |
Mathew Wolsey | 1,639 | 12.19% |
The top three races remain officially uncalled because the gap between Cowles in 3rd place and Klue-Michael in 4th place is only 89 votes, less than 1%, with provisional and absentee ballots still pending certification.
Natasha Klue-Michael and Jamie Hammond were the progressive voices in this race. They ran as a team, co-hosted a joint town hall at the Joplin Public Library [4], and both opposed the controversial AI data center that would have consumed an estimated 2-5 million gallons of water per day while providing few local jobs [5].
Natasha, who serves on Joplin's Planning and Zoning Commission, voted against that project and was escorted out of a City Council meeting for voicing her opposition publicly [6].
These are exactly the voices Joplin needs at the council table. The result is heartbreaking, but it is not yet final.
To ensure every vote is counted, contact the Jasper County Clerk's office: 417-625-4307.
PART TWO: AUGUST 4, 2026 — WHAT AND WHO WE ARE VOTING FOR
Mark this date and do not miss it: Tuesday, August 4, 2026.
This is the Missouri Primary Election. For Democrats in Jasper and Newton Counties, this is the ballot that determines who faces Republicans in November. The †Rump regime and its allies in Jefferson City are counting on low Democratic turnout in southwest Missouri. Do not give them that gift.
VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE: JULY 8, 2026
Check and confirm your registration RIGHT NOW at vote.mo.gov
Do not wait. Do not assume. Confirm it today.
U.S. House — Missouri's 7th Congressional District
Democratic Primary: Vote for MISSI HESKETH
Missouri's 7th Congressional District covers all of Jasper and Newton Counties, including all of Joplin, and extends through Springfield, Branson, and much of southwest Missouri [8].
The Republican incumbent is Eric Burlison, a hardline †Rump loyalist who has called constituent town halls places where 'only political nutjobs show up' [9]. The man representing this community in Congress thinks citizens who engage their government are nutjobs.
Burlison's record tells the full story. He supported Medicaid cuts, celebrated a House appropriations bill that slashed the EPA budget by 39%, refused to co-sponsor HR 82 — a bipartisan bill backed by 300 co-sponsors that would have fixed the Windfall Elimination Provision punishing thousands of southwest Missouri seniors [10] — and sits on the House DOGE Committee helping the †Rump regime dismantle the federal government working families depend on [9].
Missi Hesketh is our Democratic candidate, and she deserves every vote and every ounce of support this community can give her.
Missi is not a career politician propped up by corporate donors. She is the Mayor of Forsyth. She is a teacher. She is a single mother who raised three children while working full time and serving in public office for seven years [11]. Her father is a Vietnam veteran. She has deep roots in southwest Missouri and has been fighting for this community for years.
She ran against Burlison in 2024 and lost. She came back because she is not done. Her campaign runs entirely on grassroots donations — no corporate cash, no PAC money.
"We're proving we don't need corporate cash to win. We're building a grassroots army, neighbor by
neighbor, across the Ozarks. Missouri politics shouldn't be for sale." — Missi Hesketh [12]
What Missi Stands For — In Her Own Words
On Social Security: 'I absolutely cannot wrap my mind around the fact that the current Representative of
Missouri's 7th has refused to sign on as a co-sponsor to HR 82...This should be considered a nonpartisan issue.' [10]
On reproductive healthcare: 'A woman's medical issue — a family's decision when or if to create a family — there's no place in legislation for that. That is totally something that is personal and private, and just should not be legislated whatsoever.' [13]
On voting rights: She supports automatic voter registration and mail-in ballots, the exact tools the †Rump regime's March 2026 executive order is actively working to eliminate [13].
On the environment: 'I truly believe that all of us want to ensure the health of our water, air, and soil. These are the very basic essentials of life. Can you imagine the consequences to our tourism in Branson if we didn't have protections in place for runoff?' [10]
On public service: 'When I take a role in public service, I work. I understand that the needs of the community are for exactly that, for the entire community.' [14]
Yes, the 7th District carries a Cook Partisan Voter Index of R+21 [8]. But Democrats have been outperforming their 2024 results by an average of 13.1 percentage points in special elections across the country since the †Rump regime took office [15]. The wave is building. Southwest Missouri deserves to be part of it. But November only happens if Democrats show up in August.
UPCOMING: MEET MISSI — JOPLIN TOWN HALL
Tuesday, April 14, 2026 at 6:00 PM CDT
Minnie Hackney Community Service Center — 110 S Main St, Joplin, MO
Come meet Missi, ask questions, and get involved.
Events: missiformo.com/events
SUPPORT MISSI HESKETH
Website: missiheskethforcongress.com | missiformo.com
Events & Updates: missiformo.com/events
Phone/Text: (417) 674-3481
Facebook: Missi Hesketh for Congress
TWO: AUGUST 4, 2026 — WHAT WE ARE VOTING ON AND WHO WE ARE VOTING FOR
Mark this date and do not miss it: Tuesday, August 4, 2026.
This is the Missouri Primary Election. For Democrats in Jasper and Newton Counties, this is the ballot that determines who faces Republicans in November. The †Rump regime and its allies in Jefferson City are counting on low Democratic turnout in southwest Missouri. Do not give them that gift.
VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE: JULY 8, 2026
Check and confirm your registration RIGHT NOW at vote.mo.gov
Do not wait. Do not assume. Confirm it today.
Missouri State Senate — District 32
Democratic Candidate: Vote for IMMA CURL
Republican incumbent Jill Carter holds Senate District 32, representing all of Jasper and Newton Counties including Joplin [16]. The Missouri Democratic Party has confirmed Imma Curl as the Democratic candidate running for District 32 in the August 4 primary [15].
State Senate races matter enormously. The Missouri State Senate is where SB 3 was born. It is where decisions about school funding, Medicaid, voting rights, and local government authority are made every session. Electing even one more Democrat to Jefferson City chips away at the Republican supermajority that has made life harder for working families across this region. Every vote for Imma Curl in District 32 counts toward that goal.
Learn more and get involved at missouridemocrats.org. Show up for Imma Curl on August 4.
Missouri State Auditor — The Only Statewide Race in 2026
The State Auditor is Missouri's chief financial watchdog — checking government accounts and ensuring taxpayer money is managed correctly [17]. Two Democrats are running in the primary: Greg Upchurch and Quentin Wilson. Research both at vote.mo.gov and show up on August 4.
Key Dates at a Glance
Date | What |
July 8, 2026 | LAST DAY to register to vote in the primary |
July 21 – August 3 | Early voting period |
August 3 | Last day for in-person early voting |
August 4, 2026 | PRIMARY ELECTION DAY — Polls open 6 AM to 7 PM |
November 3, 2026 | General Election |
All factual claims are cited and numbered below. Citation numbers in the text [N] correspond to the numbered references in the list below.
Resources
1 FourStatesHomepage.com. (2026, April 7). MO/OK election results — April 7, 2026. Nexstar Media Inc.
2 myleaderpaper.com. (2026, February 5). County voters to decide on property tax freeze in April.
3 Webster County Citizen. (2026). Vote 'no' on SB 3. https://www.webstercountycitizen.com/opinion/article_fbe16f10-6377-4a6d-9454-dc08799e4ced.html
4 AllEvents.in. (2026). Townhall w/ Jamie Hammond for City Council and Natasha Klue-Michael for Council, Joplin Public Library, 17 March 2026. https://allevents.in/joplin/townhall-w-jamie-hammond-for-city-council-and-natasha-klue-michael-for-council/200029728775815
5 KOAM News Now. (2026, March). Joplin City Council candidates divided on proposed data center. https://www.koamnewsnow.com/news/elections/joplin-council-candidates-clash-over-datacenter/article_f151c9cc-7d51-49a4-9dbe-b92f7fc2b676.html
6 KRPS. (2026, March 31). City council candidates discuss platforms, goals during forum. Four States Public Radio. https://www.krps.org/joplin-news/2026-03-31/city-council-candidates-discuss-platforms-goals-during-forum
7 Joplin Schools. (2026). Eagle Bond FAQs. https://joplinschools.org/185812_3
8 Ballotpedia. (2026a). Missouri's 7th Congressional District election, 2026. https://ballotpedia.org/Missouri's_7th_Congressional_District_election,_2026
9 Wikipedia. (2026). Eric Burlison. Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Burlison
10 Branson Tri-Lakes News. (2023, December 5). Hesketh announces run for Congress. https://www.bransontrilakesnews.com/news/article_b2a42d7e-936f-11ee-81d6-e7b857339062.html
11 Ballotpedia. (2026b). Missi Hesketh. https://ballotpedia.org/Missi_Hesketh
12 Hesketh for Congress. (2026). Home — Missi Hesketh for Congress. https://missiheskethforcongress.com
13 KSMU. (2024, July 31). Missouri 7th Congressional District: Democrat Missi Hesketh. Ozarks Public Radio. https://www.ksmu.org/news/2024-07-31/missouri-7th-congressional-district-democrat-missi-hesketh
14 OzarksFirst.com. (2024, October 23). Race for Representative of Missouri's 7th Congressional District. https://www.ozarksfirst.com/news/local-news/race-for-representative-of-missouris-7th-congressional-district/
15 Missouri Democratic Party. (2026). 2026 election center.
16 Missouri Senate. (2023). Senator Jill Carter — District 32. https://www.senate.mo.gov/Senators/Member?id=273
17 Politics1.com. (2026). Missouri 2026 elections: Candidates for Governor, Senate & House. https://politics1.com/mo.htm 18 KOAM Election Results https://www.koamnewsnow.com/news/elections/results-joplin-votes-on-three-new-city-council-members/article_0225644c-1127-42e8-a14d-85a7060de7ef.html
Comments