Meet Your House District 138 Candidates

July 19, 2018

           On August 7, most Stone County voters will have a choice to fill a seat in the House of Representatives. The current holder of that seat, Don Phillips, is prevented by term limits from running again. Three Republicans filed with the Missouri Secretary of State for the position: Brad Hudson, Marshall Works and Isaac Paul Howard Boyd. Boyd did not respond by deadline to our request for input. His answers will be published if they are received before the primary election. 
           ​Note: All responses are printed exactly as they were returned to the newspaper office, with only minor changes made for formatting. 

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Brad Hudson

City of Residence: Cape Fair
Personal Biography: Brad Hudson is a lifelong resident of Southwest Missouri. He grew up on his family’s farm near Cape Fair, where he still lives today with his wife of 18 years, Carissa, and their two children, Bethany and Daniel. Brad delivered his first sermon after entering the ministry in 2005. He enjoyed a pastorate for several years at Spring Creek Church in Hurley and is currently Pastor to the congregation of Blessing Heights Worship Center. In 2008, Brad was elected Stone County Assessor. He was reelected both in 2012 and 2016. 
What experience do you have that makes you a good candidate for State Representative? Over 13 years experience working in Christian Ministry. 
Over 20 years experience working in Stone County Government, including 8 years as an elected official. 
Past President, Rotary Club of Table Rock Lake. 
President, Southwest Missouri Assessors Association. 
Stone County National Day of Prayer Coordinator since 2011. 
Member, Missouri State Assessors Association Legislative Committee. 
Why did you decide to run for office? Like ministry, I view public service as a calling. Our District is electing a new Representative this year and it is crucial that we choose the right person for the job. After being encouraged by a number of citizens to run, and after putting much thought and prayer into this decision, I believe that I can represent our values well. It would be an honor to serve you in this capacity. 
What are your legislative priorities? Any specific laws you would like to see enacted? Our rights do not come from politicians. They come from God. The highest priority for any elected official should be to fight for our God-given rights and liberty. Another priority of mine is to help Missouri pass a balanced budget without raising taxes. I have no plans to introduce any specific legislation at this time, but would always be open to supporting any law that would benefit our District. 
How would Stone County benefit from your serving as State Representative? I have lived, worked, and ministered in Stone County for many years. During this time, I have been able to form relationships with a number of our Pastors, elected officials and community leaders. These experiences and relationships give me a very good perspective on the issues that affect us all. 
What do you think is the biggest concern the district faces and how would you fix it? A big concern is always the economy in general. Citizens want to be able to raise their families and run their businesses without oppressive government oversight. Small government and low taxes are good for the economy and must be a priority. 
Who would you look to as a mentor in your first year in office? The same person I looked to as a mentor before I made the decision to run, Representative Don Phillips.
What is your opinion of the present budget and what changes, if any, would you make if elected? I am pleased that Missouri legislators, for the most part, have shown themselves to be more fiscally responsible than legislators in other states. I would like to see that we continue to fully fund our school foundation formula and increase funding for tourism. 
If elected, how would you be sure to hear the concerns of all demographics of Stone County citizens? As Stone County Assessor, I have proven myself to be an elected official who treats everyone fairly, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, financial situation, social status, or political party. I will continue this practice as your State Representative. 
What is your stance on budget cuts/withholdings? When necessary, where should those cuts be made? In order to balance our budget without raising taxes we must, when necessary, be willing to cut/withhold. Every department should be looked at. Cuts should be made where waste is found and where the decreased funding will have minimal to no impact on citizens. 
On what one House Committee would you like to serve? My goal is to serve on both the Budget and Tourism Committees. If I had to choose one, I would go with tourism. ​

Marshall Works

City of Residence: Kimberling City
Personal Biography: I was born on a small family farm in Southern Illinois but moved to Texas when I was a youngster where I grew up, went to college and started my career in commercial insurance. I retired last year after moves to Washington (1978) and Missouri (1992). I have been married to my wife Marie for 35 years – we have two grown children and one grandchild. I was a decent ballplayer but am a lousy golfer although I do have a good sense of humor about it. We love to travel – our mantra is, cover the earth before the earth covers you.
What experience do you have that makes you a good candidate for State Representative? I bring 40+ years of private sector, professional negotiating experience to the table and perhaps a broader perspective having lived/worked in Texas and Washington prior to my 26 years in Missouri.
Why did you decide to run for office? Have you ever heard the Tracy Chapman song, If Not Now, When? As far back as college I realized that I have what we used to call at the Red Cross, “the helper gene”. I believe that we all have an obligation to give back and now that our kids are grown and the nest is empty (and I retired late last year) the time seems right to up my commitment ante and to serve our neighbors and friends in the district by being their voice in Jeff City.
What are your legislative priorities? Any specific laws you would like to see enacted? Continuing to promote tourism for our area and protecting Table Rock Lake has to remain a priority (including some infrastructure improvements to Hwy 13/160). I will work with the local chambers of commerce and our local school districts to educate our students for the jobs of tomorrow and to diversify our economy. I will consider it my duty to continue to resist Federal over-reach and protect our state’s rights. Now that I am on the cusp of senior status, I also want to ensure that the needs of our seniors are considered as well. 
How would Stone County benefit from your serving as State Representative? Beyond my experience – see above, I actually have a college degree in Government which should shorten the learning curve. At 64, I am not looking for anything other than the chance to serve and as my grandfather once told me, you’ve done well but it’s never too late to do good.
What do you think is the biggest concern the District faces and how would you fix it? In general terms we need to work to ensure that our district gets our fair share from the state in exchange for what we bring (in tourism revenue dollars primarily) to the state. I don’t know that it needs to be fixed but we definitely cannot take our eye off the ball.
Who would you look to as a mentor in your first year in office? The first person I would turn to is the current Rep, Don Phillips – depending on his interest level and availability. Secondly I would turn to John Wiemann from St Charles County (John and I worked together a few years ago and had many issues related conversations). John was first elected in 2014. 
What is your opinion of the present budget and what changes, if any, would you make if elected? It would be quite presumptive of me to talk about making changes to a budget that was passed prior to my involvement in the legislative process. The fact that it is in balance is a good start.
If elected, how would you be sure to hear the concerns of all demographics of Stone County citizens? I have chosen to avoid taking contributions or campaign loans from any 138th District resident(s) to avoid the possibility of any one or any group thinking that I “owe” them anything or giving the appearance of favoring anyone or any group when representing the district.
What is your stance on budget cuts/withholdings? When necessary, where should those cuts be made? Missouri’s constitution requires a balanced budget. Any cuts necessary to keep the budget in balance will have to be made based on economic conditions at that time – there is no “right” answer to this question.
On what one House Committee would you like to serve? Because of our dependence on tourism that committee would definitely be one. And because of the importance of and our reliance on public education, that would likely be another one. Beyond that, I would be guided by what issues are important to the voters of Stone County.