Vicky Hartzler
House Candidate
Missouri 4th District

Hartzler has experience in both the private and public sector.  After college, she taught high school students for 11 years in Lebanon and Belton, Missouri, before running for public office.  Hartzler served six years in the Missouri House of Representatives and gained significant notoriety, winning the Public Servant of the Year Award from a number of chamber of commerce groups. 

Hartzler graduated summa cum laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia and received a M.S. in Education from Central Missouri State University. 

Why she wins our Endorsement
Hartzler is a principled conservative with considerable experience in the public and private sector.  She views public office as a service, not a career and has been more than willing to walk away from politics for her family or to pursue other opportunities.  She is now running for Congress against a 34-year incumbent showing her fearlessness when it comes to taking on tough challenges.  She supports a Balanced Budget Amendment, the line-item veto, reducing taxes, the missile defense shield, and strongly opposes cap and trade as well as the Obama Healthcare Reform.  She has the intelligence, the experience, the charisma, and the talent to defeat Ike Skelton and that is why she wins our endorsement.

Election Battle
The district has supported Republican candidates for President with over 60%, but has supported a democrat in Congress for over three decades.  The 4^th District is a conservative region that has been represented by Democratic Rep. Ike Skelton since 1976.  Republicans usually concede the 4^th district due to Skelton’s popularity.  He is known as a conservative democrat but the last few years have seen his voting record turn more liberal.  Support for Skelton among conservatives in the district is fading fast.  Vicky Hartzler has been able to raise sufficient funds to at least push Skelton, but what has Republican strategists excited is her strong grassroots appeal.  The anti-incumbent and anti-career politician sentiment in the country is also working against Skelton.  Despite these problems, Skelton has a number of advantages including his position as chair of the powerful armed services committee, his seniority in the House, his huge bank account, and a lot of powerful friends among special interest groups.  Hartzler will need more resources and continue her grassroots momentum in order to take down one of the longest serving members of the House.