Republican Chris Stigall and Democrat Josh Smead will face off in November to represent Missouri’s 6th Congressional District.
After 13 terms, sitting Republican U.S. Rep. Sam Graves announced in March that he would not run for reelection in the district. That opened the door for Republicans to showcase their loyalty to President Donald Trump, and for Democrats to blame Trump for economic woes in a bid for Missorians’ approval.
Republican barbs were sharpest between Kansas City Council member Nathan Willett and conservative radio talk show host Chris Stigall, who has Graves’ endorsement.
Willett has tried to cast that endorsement as anti-Trump because of a decision by Graves to hire one of Trumps’ perceived enemies as a political consultant.
And during Trump’s 2016 presidential run, Stigall called Trump a “political hazard” on his show.
“I hate what comes out of his mouth,” Stigall said at the time. “It embarrasses me that he's the front-runner.”
In the subsequent years, Stigall has had Trump on his show several times, and Trump has called Stigall a “great friend.” Stigall’s watch party on primary election night showcased a photo of him with Trump from the 2024 presidential campaign.
“I believe his agenda is the agenda that’s best-suited for the way forward for the country,” Stigall said at his watch party. “The president can rest assured when I get to Congress.”
The 6th Congressional District has more than 27,000 farms and accounts for more than a third of Missouri’s agriculture sales, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And, in general, farmers are a reliably conservative group. But Trump’s policies have them hurting financially.
Stigall has said he’ll “fight for a seat on the House Agriculture Committee," and consult with Graves. He supports Trump’s agriculture policies, like his efforts to loosen environmental restrictions.
Democratic challenger wants to "be the change"
Smead, the district’s Democratic candidate, said Trump’s tariffs and war in Iran have unfairly burdened Missouri farmers, and he decided to run in large part to help Democrats take back the U.S. House of Representatives and to rein in Trump’s power.
“I want to be the change, and I want to see what I can do to make my mark and try and, you know, make any sort of difference in what we're seeing in the world,” Smead said at his watch party.
As a result of recent Republican redistricting efforts in Missouri, parts of North Kansas City were carved out of the formerly Democratic-leaning 5th District and added to the newly-drawn 6th District. While the district is now slightly bluer, it’s still considered a safe seat for Republicans.
