August 2026 Primary Elections
The candidates listed on this page are those our group is prepared to support. Additional candidates may appear on your ballot who are not listed here.
Jackson County Executive
We support all five Democrats running for Jackson County Executive. We particularly encourage voters to consider Stacy Lake and Bill Baird.
| Name / Website | Party / Notes | |
|---|---|---|
 | Stacy Lake (FB) | Democrat — Attorney — ★ JCSS Pick |
 | Bill Baird (FB) | Democrat — Mayor of Lee's Summit — ★ JCSS Pick |
 | Ryan Meyer (FB) | Democrat — Marketing Consultant |
 | Holmes Osborne (FB) | Democrat — Financial Analyst |
 | Dan Tarwarter (FB) | Democrat |
Jackson County Legislature
| District | Name / Website | Party / Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st At-Large |  | Jalen Anderson (FB) | Democrat — Incumbent |
| 1st At-Large |  | Carla Fields | Democrat |
| 1st At-Large |  | Justice Horn (FB) | Democrat |
| 2nd At-Large |  | Donna Peyton | Democrat — Incumbent |
| 2nd At-Large |  | Brandon Ellington | Democrat — Former MO State Rep & KC Council Member |
| 1st |  | Kelly Thompson (FB) | Democrat |
| 2nd |  | Venessa Huskey | Democrat — Incumbent |
| 2nd |  | Erik Dickinson | Democrat |
| 3rd | Dennis Rowland | Democrat — Open seat (Charlie Franklin term-limited) | |
| 3rd | Phyllis Hernandez | Democrat — Open seat (Charlie Franklin term-limited) | |
| 4th |  | Byron Townsend | Democrat — Open seat (DaRon McGee running for Executive) |
| 4th | John Maloney | Democrat — Open seat (DaRon McGee running for Executive) |
U.S. House of Representatives
We support all Democrats running for U.S. House of Representatives. We particularly encourage voters to consider Jordan Herrera or Hartzell Gray.
| District | Name / Website | Party / Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MO-4 |  | Jordan Herrera (FB) | Democrat — S/E Jackson County — ★ JCSS Pick |
| MO-4 |  | Hartzell Gray 3rd (FB) | Democrat — S/E Jackson County — ★ JCSS Pick |
| MO-4 |  | Wayne Russell (FB) | Democrat — S/E Jackson County |
| MO-4 | G Rick | Democrat — S/E Jackson County | |
| MO-4 |  | Jeanette Cass (FB) | Democrat — S/E Jackson County |
| MO-4 |  | Ashleigh Rogers (FB) | Democrat — S/E Jackson County |
| MO-4 |  | Randy Miller (FB) | Democrat — S/E Jackson County |
Missouri House of Representatives
| District | Name / Website | Party / Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 |  | Susan Hoisington (FB) | Democrat — NE Kansas City |
| 17 |  | Shawna Ackerson (FB) | Democrat — NE Kansas City |
| 20 |  | Noah Worcester (FB) | Democrat — Independence / Sugar Creek |
| 20 |  | Jeff Spicer (FB) | Democrat — Independence / Sugar Creek |
| 28 |  | Mike Sager | Democrat — Raytown / South KC |
| 28 |  | Donna Barnes (FB) | Democrat — Raytown / South KC |
| 56 |  | Staci Czar | Democrat — Belton / Raymore |
| 56 | Mitch Mullvain | Democrat — Belton / Raymore |
Missouri Senate
| District | Name / Website | Party / Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34 |  | Shereka Barnes (FB) | Democrat — NW KC / Platte County |
| 34 |  | Pam May (FB) | Democrat — NW KC / Platte County |
Missouri State Auditor
| Name / Website | Party / Notes | |
|---|---|---|
 | Gregory Upchurch (FB) | Democrat |
 | Quentin Wilson (FB) | Democrat |
Amendments
Amendment 1 — Conservation Tax Renewal — We recommend: Vote YES
Renews a 0.001% sales tax for 10 years that generates approximately $140 million annually. Revenue is split equally between Missouri State Parks and the state's 114 soil and water conservation districts. This longstanding tax, first approved in 1984, supports park operations and voluntary conservation programs for farmers.
We love our parks and don't want them to lose funding. This is a small, proven tax that has benefited Missourians for over 40 years.
Vote YES on Amendment 1.
Amendment 2 — County Assessor Elections — We recommend: No Recommendation
Requires all charter counties, including Jackson County, to elect their county assessor through direct voter election rather than appointment. It also mandates assessors comply with state-established training requirements, increasing voter oversight in determining assessor qualifications.
Jackson County voters approved a change to the county charter in November 2025 by roughly 90% to make the assessor an elected position. However, the Missouri Constitution contains an exception — written specifically for counties with populations between 600,000 and 700,000 — that still permits Jackson County to have an appointed assessor. Amendment 2 would remove that exception from the state constitution so that both documents are consistent.
Supporters argue that electing the assessor improves accountability and transparency, and aligns Jackson County with every other county in Missouri. Opponents argue that property assessment is a technical, professional role that requires expertise rather than political campaigning, and that making the position elected could open the door to fundraising pressure that influences how properties are valued.
Our group was unable to reach consensus on this measure.
Amendment 4 — Initiative Petition Process Changes — We recommend: Vote NO
Modifies how citizen-led constitutional amendments succeed by requiring approval from a majority of voters in each of Missouri's eight congressional districts, rather than just a statewide majority. The amendment also requires the full petition text be provided to voters on ballots.
This amendment is designed to make citizen-initiated ballot measures nearly impossible to pass. Under Amendment 4, a single rural congressional district could veto the will of the statewide majority. Analysis shows that every citizen-initiated constitutional amendment since 2020 — including measures on minimum wage and abortion rights — would have failed under these rules. The League of Women Voters of Missouri calls it "almost impossible" to pass citizen initiatives under this standard. Don't let a small minority override the majority.
Vote NO on Amendment 4.
Amendment 5 — Income Tax Phase-Out — We Recommend: Vote NO
This amendment would gradually eliminate Missouri's individual income tax and replace that revenue through future changes to sales and use taxes. While the amendment promises to protect funding for essential services, it leaves many key details to future legislatures.
We oppose Amendment 5 because it shifts Missouri's tax burden away from income taxes and toward sales taxes. Seniors living primarily on Social Security often pay little or no Missouri income tax today, meaning they could see little benefit from income-tax elimination while facing higher taxes on purchases and services if sales taxes are expanded.
The amendment would also give state lawmakers broad authority to enact new sales taxes and expand existing sales taxes without requiring another statewide vote. Missourians would be giving up important taxpayer protections and allowing future tax increases to be decided by the legislature rather than directly by voters.
To replace billions of dollars in income-tax revenue, lawmakers may need to expand sales taxes to services that are currently untaxed, potentially including services such as haircuts, pet care, and various professional and personal services. This would raise costs for many Missouri families and retirees.
Schools, libraries, public safety agencies, and healthcare services all depend on state revenue. Because the amendment does not specify exactly how replacement taxes would work, voters are being asked to approve a major tax-system overhaul without knowing many of its future details.
Vote NO on Amendment 5.