The 2026 state election cycle has already begun in the Ozarks, with a spotlight on Senate District 30, which covers Springfield. The seat is currently held by Republican Lincoln Huff. Senator Huff will be term limited in 2026, leaving a vacancy that Republicans will be eager to fill and Democrats hope to compete for in the politically purple City. Huff won his last election with 57% and was elected to the seat in 2018 with 53% of the vote. One candidate each has announced for the Democrat and Republican ticket. Democrat Rep Betsy Fogle currently represents the 135th district in Missouri, which covers most of northeast Springfield. She was elected in 2020 and serves on various committees, including the House Budget Committee, where she has had an impact on funding legislation. But she says she is running as much for the things her party can't get done with the ongoing Republican supermajority in Missouri government. We talked with Representative Fogle about why she's running, what her priorities are and what it means to represent Springfield.
Why do you want to run for the Senate?
Rep. Fogle: I got involved in politics about six years ago to bring balance to Jefferson City. We live in a state where we have supermajorities of Republicans in both the House and the Senate. We now have all of our statewide office holders are Republicans. And I think both myself and our community here in Springfield want to see balance and common-sense legislation move through the legislative process in Jefferson City. And I think that is my impetus for jumping in and running to run for our open state Senate seat that will be vacated by Senator Lincoln Huff in 26, just to try to continue to bring that much needed balance to a unbalanced system in Jefferson City.
And can you tell me a bit about your experience in the house and how that's prepared you?
Rep. Fogle: Absolutely. In the house I served for five years. I'll start there. Over the course of those five years, I have seen both the wonderful side of government and politics and the more frustrating side. I've been able to work on things like fully funding our foundation formula for our students, fully funding our childcare subsidies, making sure working families have the opportunity to leave their kids in safe and affordable child care facilities while they work. Working on legislation to increase teacher pay, working on all sorts of things. And when we're in the building, working together, working across the aisle or working within our party to advance good legislation on behalf of all Missourians, that is definitely the beautiful thing about what I've been able to do the last five years. I've also seen the more frustrating part of an unbalanced government in Jefferson City. Things like debating in good faith bills that would criminalize women and sentence him to life in prison if they had to terminate an ectopic pregnancy, which for those people who might not know, that's a non-viable pregnancy, it's never going to result in a live birth. But those are the kinds of conversations that we're having. We're unable to pass significant legislation regarding childcare tax credits. We're unwilling to have conversations about how to keep kids in school safe from gun violence, or people in our streets safe from gun violence. I think that, again, those are the things that make me want to jump in and run for a state Senate seat in a very competitive state Senate district, because I think the people of Springfield want good things for their neighbors. They want a democracy and a government that's working on their behalf. And I just don't see that happening in Jefferson City with one party having all incomplete power.
And do you think some of the things you mentioned there, do you think those are going to be the major issues in the election, or what do you foresee?
Rep. Fogle: The things that I'll be focusing on in my state Senate race are making sure our kids have what they need to be successful in our public schools, fully funding our schools, making sure our teachers have the resources that they need, making sure we're reducing and lowering the cost of living for Springfield families, for Missouri families. Making sure that we are fully funding our law enforcement, our firefighters, our public safety. That's something I hear when I'm knocking doors, and I know it's important to the Springfield community. And again, just being an elected representative or a state senator who understands that Springfield should and always will come first, regardless of political party. I think we see that right now in Senator Lincoln Hough, who has done a wonderful job of bringing investments to Springfield and to fighting for the things that are important to Springfield, even if that is a conflict with his political party. And I think we have a long legacy of Springfield, of people who do that. People like Amy Bentley and Norma Champion, people who represented our community so well. And it would just be an honor to get to be among the list.
Yeah, I kind of I was going to ask about that. What is it? You know, what does it mean to represent Springfield in in the House? You kind of touched on it there a bit.
Rep. Fogle: Springfield is unlike anywhere else in the state. One of the things I love about living in Springfield is that I say this often. It's big enough to where there's always something fun to do, always something new to see, but small enough to where you feel like you can make a difference. And when I look to some of our larger urban core, Saint Louis and Kansas City. They are wonderful places to live, but they are different than here in Springfield. And Springfield is significantly different than where my grandparents live in Barry County. And I think Springfield is that perfect blend. And the other thing I like about Springfield is that we are one of the few places where we have elected Republicans and elected Democrats, and we work very well across the aisle. I have a state senator who always picks up the phone when I call, even though he sits in the majority party, and I sit in the minority party. And you can't say that about everybody in the building. And I think that makes representing Springfield just such a wonderful opportunity and a unique opportunity, and that for the most part, I think we all try to do what's best for the city of Springfield above all else. And I would hope and I would pledge to continue to do that in the Missouri State Senate.
We don't always get such early announcements for state offices. You’ve got a ways until the election. Why announce this far ahead?
Rep. Fogle: I have always started campaigning early. My first election, I announced it was a few months later than this, but announced very early, knowing that one of the things I wanted to do was knock a lot of doors and get out and meet as many people as possible. And in a state Senate race, of course, it's about five times the size of my House race seat. So, I think part of that is just wanting to make sure I give myself enough time to truly understand all the needs of Springfield, all the different neighborhoods, all the different pockets of people. I have a really good pulse on what's happening in House district 135, and this will give me the opportunity to get to know Springfield at large, an even better way. And State Senate District 30 will be the most competitive Senate district in the state. I think people who are running on both sides of the aisle would probably echo that sentiment. It's going to be a long campaign season and it's going to be an extensive campaign season. So, announcing early, I think it allows us all the opportunity to take the time that we need to get to know our constituents and to raise the money that we need to raise in order to get our message out there.
NOTE: text edited lightly for clarity and readability.