Rep Candidate U.S Congress Cody Oshel Says North Missouri Needs a Voice That Shows Up

LEWIS COUNTY, Mo. — Cody Oshel, a Republican candidate in a crowded field of candidates for U.S. Congress in Missouri’s 6th Congressional District, joined the Lewis County Scoop for an interview focused on rural health care, agriculture, federal spending, term limits, border security, data centers, foreign influence and the need for elected officials to stay connected with the people they represent.

Oshel, who lives in Maryville, is running in the Republican primary for the congressional seat representing much of North Missouri. During the interview, he said his family has deep roots in the region and described North Missouri as the place he and his wife want to raise their children.

“I love North Missouri,” Oshel said. “That’s where we want to raise our boys.”

Oshel said he grew up in Trenton, in Grundy County, and his young children are the eighth generation of his family to live in the district. After high school, he sold cars in Chillicothe before moving into ministry, where he served Methodist churches across the region, from Kirksville to Weston.

He described himself as the pastor who was often sent to help struggling churches.

“I was the pastor that the bishop called to come and fix churches,” Oshel said.

After he and his wife learned they were expecting their first child, Oshel said he transitioned into work with a Fortune 500 financial institution, helping develop financial advisers and markets across Missouri and Kansas. That work, he said, focused on economic growth, community impact and corporate responsibility.

Oshel said public service has been a long-running conversation in his life. He pointed to his family’s political background and recalled lessons he learned as a child from former U.S. Sen. Kit Bond about showing up for people, even in small communities.

That idea, he said, is part of why he decided to run.

“Washington’s a mess,” Oshel said. “People feel unseen, unheard.”

Oshel said he wants to return to a style of representation where elected officials regularly visit small towns, listen to residents and work to solve problems. He said politics should not be treated as a career, but as a call to serve and eventually come back home.

One personal moment that helped shape his campaign came from his 3-year-old son, Alistair. Oshel recalled a trip to Disney World when his son insisted on carrying a bag and told him, “Dad, I can do hard things.”

For Oshel, the phrase became tied to the campaign.

“That kid is rooted in North Missouri DNA, because in North Missouri we can do hard things,” he said.

Asked about the biggest issues facing small communities in northeast Missouri, Oshel pointed first to rural health care. He said hospital closures, reduced clinic access and fewer local medical providers have created real pressure on families, especially older residents and those who may not be comfortable traveling long distances for care.

He said the loss of health care services also means the loss of good local jobs.

“When those nursing jobs, clinic jobs, doctors, they leave, that really puts the community in a pinch,” Oshel said.

The conversation also touched on direct primary care, a model that has gained attention in Lewis County through HealthSpan DPC. Oshel said he sees more people trying to solve health care needs outside traditional systems.

“It goes back to the old days of how we took care of people,” he said, comparing the model to a more local, personal form of medical care.

When asked how he would make sure places like Lewis County are not forgotten in Washington, Oshel said members of Congress need to remain reachable and accountable. He said the power should remain with the district, not with Washington.

“The only way to be able to do that is to see the people,” Oshel said.

He said he supports regular engagement with voters, answering phones and making sure residents can reach their representative. Oshel also said voters should not automatically reelect someone simply because a district favors one party.

“There should be accountability,” he said.

Agriculture and land ownership were also major topics. Oshel said foreign-owned farmland is a concern in Missouri’s 6th District and argued that protecting land is tied to protecting national sovereignty.

“If agriculture goes away, then we have a country that’s now a banana republic, a third-world country,” Oshel said.

He said Congress should focus on cutting red tape for farmers so producers can focus on producing and growing. Oshel gave the example of crop insurance paperwork being sent to every family member with an ownership interest in a farm, even if some live out of state and are not involved in day-to-day operations.

Small businesses and working families also need more support, he said, particularly in health insurance. Oshel said his father has been a mechanic and small-business owner for more than 30 years in Princeton, Missouri, and he knows how difficult insurance costs can be for small employers.

He said one solution could be making it easier for small business owners to access group insurance plans and better rates.

On federal spending, Oshel said Congress needs to rein in what he called “runaway spending.” He said federal leaders should be held to the same kind of budget discipline that families and small businesses must follow.

“Average Americans have to be able to balance their budget or bad things happen,” he said.

Oshel said Congress should audit spending, protect necessary investments such as health care and stop asking Americans to pay more to support an unsustainable federal budget.

Term limits also came up during the interview. Oshel said he supports term limits, though he acknowledged there must be enough time for lawmakers to gain experience and get work done.

“I absolutely support term limits,” he said. “We shouldn’t have someone who’s been there for 40, 50, 60 years.”

Asked about a constitutional convention, Oshel said he believes debate over constitutional questions can be healthy and that many leaders today do not fully understand the Constitution.

Border security and illegal immigration were another focus. Oshel said the United States needs to know who is entering the country in order to protect its sovereignty, security and people.

At the same time, he said enforcement should be handled with dignity.

“We have to be able to enforce immigration and enforce security,” Oshel said. “But we also have to remember that people are people.”

One of the most detailed exchanges centered on data centers, a topic Oshel said he hears about frequently from voters online.

“That’s what keeps me up at night,” he said.

Oshel said his biggest concern is transparency. He said residents deserve to know who owns data center companies, what risks may come with the projects and what the long-term impacts could be on local communities.

He said he would support a one-year pause or moratorium to allow more research into health, environmental and community impacts.

“We need to know everything that we can know about them, the good, the bad, the ugly,” Oshel said.

Oshel acknowledged that data centers are likely to be built somewhere, but said communities should not be asked to accept them without answers. He said he does not support tax abatements for data centers if the companies can afford to buy land, build infrastructure and supply their own water and electricity.

“If they can come in and they can provide their own electricity, their own water, they can come in, build their infrastructure, pay millions of dollars for the land, then great,” he said. “You don’t need any tax abatements.”

The interview also included a discussion about AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and foreign policy. Oshel said Israel is a strong ally of the United States, but he believes no one country should have too much influence over U.S. policy.

He said he does not support “forever wars” and believes American leaders should use strength and diplomacy.

“I believe that we can’t have one country pulling the puppet strings telling us what to do, where we’re going to go and when and how,” Oshel said.

Asked whether he would accept money from AIPAC if elected, Oshel said his answer would be no.

“I think they need — we need — to limit the amount of influence that’s coming through their lobbying arm,” he said.

Oshel also agreed to return to the Lewis County Scoop on a regular basis if elected, saying elected officials should not disappear after campaign season. He said he would be open to monthly or quarterly updates and believes representatives should come back to communities themselves rather than always sending staff members.

“I think it’s important that you don’t become too busy or play too busy to miss out on seeing the people,” Oshel said.

He said communication and accountability are essential, even when voters disagree with a decision.

“I’ll never be too big for my britches that somebody can’t hold me accountable,” he said.

Asked what separates him from other Republican candidates in the race, Oshel said he has always felt called to step into difficult situations and find solutions. He said his background in ministry, community work and business has prepared him to work with different people, including those who may not agree with him.

“I’ve always felt called to get into the mess,” Oshel said.

In his closing pitch to Lewis County voters, Oshel returned to his North Missouri roots.

“I’m from North Missouri,” he said. “My family’s been rooted here for my little kids being eighth generation. This is our home.”

Oshel said he believes he is the best person to represent the district because he understands the people who live there.

“I truly believe that I’m the best person to represent you because I am you,” he said.

The interview is part of the Lewis County Scoop’s effort to provide voters with direct access to candidates running for public office. The Lewis County Scoop does not endorse any candidate. Podcast interviews are provided for informational purposes only so voters can hear directly from the candidates and make their own decisions.