In the race to be Missouri's next governor, Democrat Crystal Quade says she'll work across political differences to make Missourians' lives better.
"That's how we won in 2016. We crossed partisan lines. I had my yard sign right next to Trump's yard signs, in the exact same yard," she told KCUR's Up To Date.
Quade is the Democratic leader of Missouri's House of Representatives, first elected to represent part of Springfield in 2016 — a year of major gains for Missouri Republicans. That's informed her approach to lawmaking since.
"I learned very quickly if I wanted to get anything done, it was important that I didn't care about who received the credit," she said. "You know, we have so many Democratic bills that actually make it across the finish line. They just have other folks' names on them."
A Democrat, a Republican, a Libertarian and a Green Party candidate are running to replace Mike Parson, who is term-limited, in the race for Missouri governor.
In a conversation with Up To Date, Quade talked about her stances on some of the biggest issues facing Missourians. Republican Mike Kehoe hasn't responded to requests for interview in the general election cycle, but we did speak with him ahead of the primary election.
Here are some key excerpts, edited for length.
Interview Highlights
On abortion rights
Quade is a champion of abortion rights and supports the passage of Amendment 3, which would enshrine the right to an abortion in Missouri until the point of fetal viability. The state currently bans abortions entirely, with only exceptions for medical emergencies.
"You know, I was in the legislature in 2019 when the Republicans passed this, and I personally stood on the House floor and talked about my own abuse as a child. I talked about what laws like this would do for kids like me.
We had other state representatives stand on the floor talk about their miscarriages that they had, their deeply wanted pregnancies, that they miscarried and went to the doctor's offices and had to receive abortion care, to save their lives, so that they could continue to be mothers and to have more children. And you know, there are so many stories of so many folks across the state who are deeply impacted by this.
And we just saw a couple weeks ago, we had over 800 doctors sign on to a letter in support of Amendment 3, because they cannot do their jobs right now. Missouri women are going to the doctor's offices in active miscarrying situations, and doctors are having to send them home and cannot help them because they're scared of legal retribution.
And this is a real thing, and it is a life and death thing, and the fact that politicians continue to insert themselves in our personal lives is ridiculous."
On control of the Kansas City Police Department
Quade supports local control of police departments. To her, it's the first step in making sure communities are safe. Kansas City is the only municipality in Missouri that doesn't control its police department.
"I am somebody who absolutely believes in local control when it comes to public safety. You know, I grew up in Webster County, Missouri, on a gravel road, and what we needed and what was happening in our community is very different than what's going on in Kansas City and in St. Louis and even in Springfield, where I live now.
We need to trust local leaders and local communities to to know what is best for their for their communities, and how to spend the money and where resources need to go and and so that is step one for me in this conversation."
On executive pardons and the death penalty
Quade questions the way Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has approached executive clemency and the death penalty during his time as governor.
"I think it's really interesting what Gov. Parson has chosen to intervene, when he has and when he hasn't. Of course, we know about the McCloskeys over in St. Louis, the folks who wielded guns at Black Lives Matter protesters were pardoned, but yet, just a few weeks ago, with Marcellus Williams, when we had the active prosecutors and even family of the victim asking for Parson to intervene in that execution, he chose not to.
I think that pardons and executions are one of the biggest pieces of the role of Governor, something that should never be taken lightly, and each individual case should be deeply investigated and slowed down and spent time on."
- Crystal Quade, Democratic nominee for Missouri governor
