In an election year that many analysts are predicting will be strong for Democrats across the country, party leaders in Missouri are hoping to cash in, too.
Earlier this year, an analysis from Ballotpedia identified the state as “highly exposed” to breaking its long-running Republican supermajorities in the Missouri General Assembly.
But for Republicans in the Missouri Senate, keeping the supermajority relies on winning key battleground races — including Senate District 8, which includes much of Blue Springs, Lee’s Summit and other cities in eastern Jackson County.
Outgoing Speaker of the House Jon Patterson, a Republican, is running against Democratic Rep. Keri Ingle, who has served in the Missouri House since 2019 representing Lee’s Summit. The seat is currently held by Republican Sen. Mike Cierpiot.
Patterson was the only House Republican to vote against putting Amendment 3 on the ballot. He said the proposal didn’t adequately allow for exceptions to the abortion ban in cases of rape and incest, and acknowledged that his constituents voted in favor of legalizing abortion in 2024.
“When you take a look at that in totality, it's just not something that I could support,” Patterson said. “I voted no, and I'll go to the ballot just like everybody else.”
Patterson’s campaign website promotes him as an “independent” voice for Jackson County.
In an episode of the St. Louis Public Radio podcast “Politically Speaking,” Patterson spoke with Missouri Statehouse and Politics reporter Sarah Kellogg and Politics Correspondent Jason Rosenbaum about a variety of issues, including property tax relief in Jackson County.
Patterson says state lawmakers should propose property tax relief measures before attempting another income tax cut. He’s also proud of his work to make the county assessor an elected position, a move that became popular after property assessments in 2023 resulted in huge spikes in home valuations.
He also says the state should regulate emerging technology, including Flock cameras. Patterson doesn’t believe in banning the automated license plate readers, but says he would support legislation to better protect residents’ privacy and information.
“We need to decide – how long can they store the information? Who can run this program? Are we going to allow HOAs [Homeowners Associations] to do it? I think that is a very nonappetizing thought,” he said.
Patterson, who practiced general surgery for more than a decade, said a concept like HIPAA, the 1996 law that established federal standards for protecting sensitive health information, could be a model for legislation about data privacy.
Ingle will join Up To Date Friday to share her priorities if elected.
This story was originally featured on the St. Louis Public Radio podcast “Politically Speaking.”
- Rep. Jon Patterson, outgoing Missouri House Speaker
