Missouri’s 6th District Race Heats Up: Five GOP Candidates Head to Palmyra this Sunday July 19th

PALMYRA, Mo. — Voters in northeast Missouri will have what may be one last opportunity Sunday to hear from all five Republican candidates running for U.S. Congress in Missouri’s 6th Congressional District during a candidate forum in Palmyra.

The forum is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Sunday, July 19, at The Olive Branch, 121 E. Olive St., Palmyra.

Dan Musholt, one of the organizers of the event, joined the Lewis County Scoop for a short interview to discuss the forum and why he believes it is important for voters to attend.

“One of my key priorities is always voter education and voter information,” – Dan Musholt

Musholt lives in Canton and is a member of the Lewis County Republican Central Committee. He previously served as committee chairman and said voter education has long been one of his priorities.

“One of my key priorities is always voter education and voter information,” he said.

The forum will include five Republican candidates seeking the 6th District congressional seat: Chris Stigall, Nathanael Schultz, Nathan Willett, Cody Oshel and Jim Ingram.

The district covers all or part of 39 counties across northern Missouri, making it one of the largest geographic districts in the state. Musholt said that is one reason organizers wanted to bring the candidates together in one location for voters in this part of the district.

“If you look at District 6, it’s all or part of 39 different counties,” he said. “Getting all five of these guys into one location where voters can inquire of them, ask them questions, get to know them and compare them was important.”

The event is being organized by Musholt, Lacey Miller, Doug Kerr and Kathleen Wilham, with support from multiple counties. Organizers reached out to Republican committees and contacts in Lewis, Marion, Knox and Shelby counties, along with interest from other nearby counties.

The timing of the event was one of the biggest challenges. Musholt said organizers tried to avoid a Sunday, but the candidates’ schedules made it difficult to find a date that worked for all five.

“This late in the season, it was tough to get all five of them together,” he said.

The forum will not be structured as a debate. Instead, each candidate will have time to introduce himself before answering questions from organizers and, organizers hope, members of the audience.

Musholt said that format was chosen because some candidate events can turn into back-and-forth arguments between two candidates, which takes away from voters’ ability to hear from everyone.

“There’s not going to be a debate because that always ends up being highly inefficient,” he said.

Topics expected to come up include term limits, data centers, eminent domain, private property rights, federal spending, government shutdowns, socialism and foreign policy.

The race comes after longtime Congressman Sam Graves announced he would not seek re-election. Graves has served in Congress since 2001.

“We could have this candidate in office for the next two decades, or longer,” -Dan Musholt

Musholt said because the district is strongly Republican, the Aug. 4 primary carries added importance. He said the winner of the primary could potentially hold the seat for many years.

“We could have this candidate in office for the next two decades, or longer,” he said.

The forum is open to voters who want to learn more about the candidates before the Aug. 4 primary election.

“This is probably going to be the last opportunity to meet these guys before August 4th,” Musholt said.

The Republican Candidate Forum will begin at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, July 19, at The Olive Branch, 121 E. Olive St., Palmyra.