U.S. Representative Vicky Hartzler held on to the U.S. 4th district seat in what turned out to be a decisive victory over Democrat Teresa Hensley.
Republican incumbent Vicky Hartzler defeated her Democratic challenger Teresa Hensley with 63 percent of the votes. Hensley, a Cass County prosecutor, earned 35.5 percent.
The two were battling in a newly redrawn U.S. 4th district that now includes left-leaning Boone County. Before the election, Hartzler spent most of her campaign largely ignoring Hensley. Instead, Hartzler attacked President Barack Obama and promised to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Hensley criticized Hartzler for rarely stepping across the aisle to accomplish tasks such as passing the Farm Bill.
But, in the upcoming 113th Congress, Hartzler most likely faces another Republican-controlled House and Democrat-controlled Senate where stalemates won’t sit well with voters.
“Well we’ll have to look for common ground and I think we are all committed to doing what’s right for the American people and that’s what this is about. We can’t wait another two years or four years before we get things done,” said Hartzler.
Hartzler is known for championing Missouri’s anti-gay marriage amendment in 2004 and rode the Tea Party wave into office in 2010. Back then, she took out Democrat Ike Skelton who had served in the office for more than three decades.