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Updated at 12:22 p.m. July 13 with comment from Treasurer Vivek Malek

Missouri Treasurer Vivek Malek will have competition next year as he seeks a full four-year term.

House Budget Chairman Cody Smith said on an episode of Politically Speaking that he will run in the GOP primary for the statewide office. The Carthage Republican said his experience leading the committee that helps craft the state’s budget sets him up well to be treasurer.

“I’ve worked a lot in fiscal policy and have had some success cutting taxes and eliminating public debt and balancing the state budget,” Smith said. “And I’d like to continue to take that experience and work on fiscal policy from the state treasurer’s office.”

Among other things, Smith touted his advocacy of tax cuts and overhauling education policy. He also said he would push for changes to Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, a tax credit program for people who donate to organizations that financially assist students.

“Most frustratingly, it gets restricted by geography,” Smith said. “So, as an example: Children who live in my hometown of Carthage do not qualify because of where they live. But 12 miles away in the city of Joplin, those children do qualify. And I think that all Missourians deserve access to a world class education, regardless of their ZIP code.”

In addition to managing the state’s financial portfolio and helping Missourians get back their unclaimed property, the state treasurer also sits on a number of boards and commissions — including the Missouri Housing Development Commission which allocates tax credits to cultivate low-income housing.

“We’re living within our means. And I’ve been able to accomplish that,” Smith said. “And so those are the things that I think I’ve done well, and I’d like to take that experience into the treasurer’s office.”

Smith will face a formidable challenge in trying to unseat Malek.

The attorney and former member of the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents has more than $1 million at his disposal between his campaign account and a political action committee.

Even though Malek is currently serving the remaining two years of this term, due to his later swearing-in date this past year, he will be able to run for two full terms as Treasurer.

“It is an honor to serve as State Treasurer. My office has been working hard for the people of Missouri, including setting a new record in returning millions in unclaimed money and property to its rightful owners. I am a proud fiscal conservative, and I look forward to earning the opportunity from Republican voters next August to be the Republican nominee for State Treasurer,” Malek said in a statement released after Smith’s announcement.

Malek will also have the backing of Gov. Mike Parson, who appointed him to the post after Scott Fitzpatrick was elected as auditor.

“I too have had success with raising money in the past and certainly have a plan of action to run a fully funded, well funded campaign,” Smith said.

Smith’s decision to primary Malek means that most of Missouri’s statewide office will have GOP primaries next year. In addition to open races for governor, lieutenant governor and secretary of state, Will Scharf is running against Attorney General Andrew Bailey in the GOP primary.

Lucas Johnson, a financial advisor from Franklin County, filed paperwork to run as a Democrat for state treasurer.

When Steve Ehlmann first won election to the Missouri House in 1988, his home base of St. Charles County had around 210,000 people.

Now, the U.S. Census projects more than 410,000 people live in the county. And it has slowly become more diverse. In the 2010s, the county welcomed thousands of new Black and Latino residents who Elhmann said wanted two things: safe neighborhoods and good schools.

“If we ever quit having good schools or if we ever start having unsafe neighborhoods, people will go somewhere else,” Ehlmann said on an episode of Politically Speaking. “And I think it’s that simple.”

Ehlmann recently announced he won’t be running for a sixth term as county executive. He cites an increasingly toxic political discourse for his decision, pointing to how the COVID-19 pandemic ratcheted up the hostility toward elected officials — even in a place like St. Charles County that had fewer restrictions than St. Louis or St. Louis County.

“Starting with the pandemic is when things really started to sour a lot,” Ehlmann said.

Despite his county’s population growth over the past several decades, Ehlmann is worried about the long-term future. He said St. Charles County’s fate is linked to the broader St. Louis region.

“In St. Charles, we’ve been growing and have been having great success,” he said. “But nobody ever started out wanting to move to St. Charles. They started out looking for a place to put their business. They thought, ‘Let’s look at the St. Louis region.’ And when they did, they said: ‘Oh, St. Charles has a lot going for it.’”

He said if the St. Louis region cannot shake its reputation for being dangerous, businesses thinking of relocating in the area may look elsewhere.

“I’m afraid now that the St. Louis region is just being crossed off their list,” Ehlmann said. “They’ll never find out about St. Charles or any of the good things happening all over the region because of the perception they have about crime.”

Here’s what else Ehlmann talked about in his interview:

• The changes in Missouri politics since he was first elected, most notably the inability of both political parties to embrace pragmatism.
• Why he doesn’t believe St. Charles County voters will want to pay into regional amenities like the Zoo Museum District or MetroLink. Getting St. Charles County residents to help directly fund those endeavors would require a successful countywide adoption of tax increases.
• How the pandemic made it more difficult to build relationships with regional leaders, especially after most communication went virtual.
• Advice for whoever succeeds him as county executive once he departs from office after 2026.

Ehlmann is an attorney who, in addition to serving in the Missouri House, was a member of the state Senate from 1993 to 2001 — eventually becoming minority leader.

After serving as a judge, Ehlmann became the director of administration for St. Charles County. He won the executive’s post in 2006 and was subsequently elected in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022.

In addition to his judicial and political service, Ehlmann worked as a teacher. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in history.

State Rep. Steve Butz is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the St. Louis Democrat talked about stemming gun violence.

Butz represents Missouri’s 81st District, which takes in portions of south St. Louis. He was first elected to the Missouri House in 2018 and was reelected in 2020 and 2022.

Here’s what Butz discussed on the show:

• His hope that there is increasing momentum in Jefferson City to bar juveniles from carrying guns after a shooting at a downtown St. Louis party left one person dead and 11 people injured.
• Why he supports a board appointed by a governor to oversee the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. That idea gained traction this session but failed to get across the finish line.
• What issues could be priorities in the 2024 legislative session, such as an effort to legalize sports betting and a ballot item to make constitutional amendments more difficult to pass.
• Democratic prospects for the 2024 election cycle, including whether the party can field competitive candidates for governor and the U.S. Senate.

Butz is a longtime resident of southeast St. Louis who is president of Crawford Butz Insurance Agency, one of the state’s largest family-owned insurance companies. He first ran for the House in 2016, falling short to eventual winner Fred Wessels.

But after Wessels decided not to run for another term in 2018, Butz ran again for the seat — this time winning a close Democratic primary against Travis Estes. After running unopposed in 2020, Butz defeated then-St. Louis Alderman Bill Stephens in the Democratic primary, which is tantamount to election in the heavily Democratic district.

Butz serves on House committees dealing with insurance, tax policy and transportation.

Mike Jones talks about St. Louis Prosecutor Wesley Bell’s entrance into the U.S. Senate race and the state of the St. Louis region’s politics on the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast.

Jones’ roles over the past few decades include St. Louis alderman, corporate executive, head of the St. Louis housing authority and adviser to a St. Louis mayor and a St. Louis County executive. He also served on the state Board of Education.

Here’s what Jones had to say on the show:

• His take on where St. Louis regional politics and policy stand now. 
• How St. Louis County’s political culture is wildly different from St. Louis’ and what that means for the two jurisdictions’ approach to public policy.
• With roughly two years left before she faces voters again, Jones talked about St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones’ prospects for reelection and how voters may react to problems around trash pickup and water service.
• His analysis on how Bell stacks up in a Democratic primary with Lucas Kunce. The winner of that contest will likely face GOP Sen. Josh Hawley next year.
• If Bell makes it out of the primary, Jones said, his candidacy could be a test for white Missouri voters considering the state has never elected a Black candidate to a statewide office.

Jones began his political career more than three decades ago as a St. Louis alderman in the city’s 21st Ward. Since then, he’s become a go-to adviser for state, city and county officials. Jones is also a columnist for the St. Louis American, writing about regional and national politics.

Missouri Congressman Mark Alford is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, talking about his first few months in office.

Alford represents the 4th Congressional District, which takes in a swath of central and western Missouri counties. It includes Fort Leonard Wood.

Here’s what Alford discussed on the program:

• His priorities for Fort Leonard Wood, including securing money to improve housing and build a shooting range for the Army training facility.
• His philosophy for making his mark on the Armed Services Committee, even though he lacks seniority. The last two representatives for the 4th District – Democrat Ike Skelton and Republican Vicky Hartzler – also served on the committee.
• Why he voted against legislation that raises the nation’s debt ceiling. Among other reasons, he felt that the bill constricted defense spending too much – especially at a time when China is building up its military.
• The fissures within the GOP caucus over the debt ceiling vote. Alford said that there need to be fewer divisions among House Republicans, especially since the margins in the chamber are so tight.

Alford is a Texas native who spent several decades as a television journalist. Alford decided to step down from his post as a morning anchor at FOX4 in Kansas City and announced his bid for Congress soon after.

Alford jumped into a crowded GOP primary to succeed Hartzler, who was vacating her seat to run for the U.S. Senate. He won the primary fairly decisively, which effectively clinched his election in the heavily Republican district.

In addition to serving on the Armed Services Committee, Alford is a member of the House Agriculture Committee.