GARY SMEDILE, CHAIRMAN, CLAY COUNTY REPUBLICAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE
The April 5 local election included campaigns for school boards, bond issues and municipal leadership positions. Conservatives won some and came up short in others. Regardless of the outcomes, there are clear lessons to be learned and applied. This is not “one and done.” Our Committee, including our Build Our Bench program, will conduct reviews to learn from this election so we can improve in the August 2 Primary, the November 8 General and campaigns and elections in the future. The invitation is open for you to participate in this process.
On March 29 was the deadline for filing for the August 2 Primary. This included a record Sixty-Six (!!) candidates for fifty of the sixty-six Central Committee sub-district membership opportunities. This means that some sub-districts had no filers, others had a single filer while still others had multiple filers, prompting elections as part of the August primary. Among the filers: a healthy contingent of incumbents AND newly engaged citizens. Not included in the numbers are the numerous calls and emails we entertained from yet others interested in becoming involved but for whatever reason chose not to file. This is all good and a further indication of our Clay County Republican enthusiasm. As I’ve said all along, if you support Republican principles and are willing to contribute positively to our efforts, you are welcome to join in. We are on a roll.
On April 6, I had the pleasure and honor of representing you when I visited with two of our Missouri lawmakers in Washington, DC: Senator Josh Hawley and Congressman Sam Graves. They see your energy and enthusiasm. They know that Clay County is a bellwether and that our efforts are key to keeping the Show Me State Red. We have a great relationship with these and other lawmakers and their staffs. They know we are here, appreciate all you do and support us just as we support them!
