After winning Tuesday's Republican primary, Congressman Burlison will face Democrat Missi Hesketh and Libertarian Kevin Craig who were unopposed in the primary election.
Burlison was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022, moving into a seat previously held by Billy Long who lost to U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt in the November 2022 Republican primary election.
Burlison graduated from Springfield's Parkview High School in 1995. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and a Master of Business Administration degree from Missouri State University.
Burlison has sided with President Donald Trump on a number of issues.
Most recently, on July 29, he praised the president's directive waiving certain nondisclosure agreements for individuals with information related to unidentified anomalous phenomena. And he offered his office's assistance for any former government employee or contractor who is interested in taking advantage of the directive.
"Waiving UAP-related NDAs is something I have been calling for the administration to do, and I hope to understand the procedures established by the president's directive soon and am calling on ODNI to issue its guidance publicly," Burlison said in a statement. "In the meantime, my office will serve as a resource to begin shepherding qualified individuals through the process."
Burlison's top priorities, according to his campaign website, are lowering taxes, affordable healthcare, holding Washington accountable and securing the border and protecting Americans' rights.
Missi Hesketh was born in Elmhurst, Illinois, according to Ballotpedia. She earned her high school diploma from Forsythe High School in southwest Missouri, a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a graduate degree from Drury University. She also received an E.S. from Missouri State University.
Her top priorities, according to her campaign website, are affordability for all, protecting kids' futures, making healthcare work, supporting farmers and natural resources and bringing accountability back to government.
Kevin Craig's campaign website states that he is "uncompromisingly committed to the ideal of Liberty Under God."
It also states that he "is steadfastly committed not only to never increasing taxes or spending, but following the example and principles of America's Founding Fathers, working to abolish the federal government, the greatest enemy of Liberty Under God."
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