Two will face off for vacant House seat
May 15, 2019
Charlea Estes-Jones
Both the Barry County Republican and Democrat legislative committees put up candidates to run for the District #158 House of Representatives seat left vacant when Scott Fitzpatrick was appointed State Treasurer. The special election on November 5 will determine the replacement who will serve to represent citizens from Barry, Stone and Lawrence Counties at the state level.
The 158th District Republican Legislative Committee nominated Scott Cupps, 33, of Shell Knob, to run on its ticket. The Barry County Democrats nominated Lisa Gayle Kalp, 55, of Cassville, for as their candidate.
Cupps was selected out of three officially nominated for the seat during the Republicans’ meeting on Tuesday, May 7. Other nominees included Landon Fletcher and Jerry Varner.
The Democratic Central Committee selected Kalp after their monthly meeting on Monday, May 6, invited nominations. The committee did a telephone vote on Monday, May 13, to decide between Kalp and one other candidate, Ron Monnig, of Eagle Rock.
Cupps said he is excited to run in the election, and it was a decision he made after considering it for years. He said, “This is something that has been in discussion for three or four years. I’m very passionate about some of the issues facing rural Missouri more so than some of the people in urban settings are.”
He added that having discussions with State Treasurer Fitzpatrick helped him understand the ins and outs of state politics and led him to pursue it.
Kalp said she is running because she thinks she can help the future of Barry County. She said, “I think some things need to be done. I’ve always told people that if things need to be done, do it yourself, so I took my own advice.
“There is a separation in this area of people. We have Hispanics, the farmers, and the city people. We don’t have everybody being the ‘Barry County people’. We all have the same issues.”
When asked what issues he is passionate about on the state-level, Cupps said he is passionate about agriculture, education, civil liberties and property owners’ rights. He said, “I’ve been quoted numerous times saying it’s the government’s job to work for the people and not the people to be slaves to the government. If we don’t work to keep it that way, it can get there fairly quickly.”
Kalp’s perspective is that she wants people locally to feel like their vote counts and matters and they have a voice in local government. She is passionate about voters’ rights, women’s issues, affordable healthcare and education and training for all Missourians.
She said, “People are worrying that their voting doesn’t count because they are just going to change it anyway. That needs to change.”
Both candidates plan to pursue campaign strategies of talking to residents to get their feedback and hold meet and greets to get to know voters’ issues across the county.
Cupps lives in Shell Knob with his wife, Kim, a third grade teacher at Cassville Schools. He runs a diversified farming operation with his father and twin brother. He has a bachelors degree in agricultural education from Missouri State University and pursued a masters in agricultural business before taking an agricultural logistics sector position with a company based out of Boise, Idaho.
Kalp moved to the Cassville area in 2015. She grew up with her father in the military. She works as a computer programmer and owns a farm near Star City, where she raises Arabian horses, goats and sheep. Kalp is originally from the Boston area, has a degree from Boston College in European and American History and studied law in Lansing Michigan for two years. She is a single mom raising two adopted special needs children, speaks Spanish and is passionate about animal rescue.
Charlea Estes-Jones
Both the Barry County Republican and Democrat legislative committees put up candidates to run for the District #158 House of Representatives seat left vacant when Scott Fitzpatrick was appointed State Treasurer. The special election on November 5 will determine the replacement who will serve to represent citizens from Barry, Stone and Lawrence Counties at the state level.
The 158th District Republican Legislative Committee nominated Scott Cupps, 33, of Shell Knob, to run on its ticket. The Barry County Democrats nominated Lisa Gayle Kalp, 55, of Cassville, for as their candidate.
Cupps was selected out of three officially nominated for the seat during the Republicans’ meeting on Tuesday, May 7. Other nominees included Landon Fletcher and Jerry Varner.
The Democratic Central Committee selected Kalp after their monthly meeting on Monday, May 6, invited nominations. The committee did a telephone vote on Monday, May 13, to decide between Kalp and one other candidate, Ron Monnig, of Eagle Rock.
Cupps said he is excited to run in the election, and it was a decision he made after considering it for years. He said, “This is something that has been in discussion for three or four years. I’m very passionate about some of the issues facing rural Missouri more so than some of the people in urban settings are.”
He added that having discussions with State Treasurer Fitzpatrick helped him understand the ins and outs of state politics and led him to pursue it.
Kalp said she is running because she thinks she can help the future of Barry County. She said, “I think some things need to be done. I’ve always told people that if things need to be done, do it yourself, so I took my own advice.
“There is a separation in this area of people. We have Hispanics, the farmers, and the city people. We don’t have everybody being the ‘Barry County people’. We all have the same issues.”
When asked what issues he is passionate about on the state-level, Cupps said he is passionate about agriculture, education, civil liberties and property owners’ rights. He said, “I’ve been quoted numerous times saying it’s the government’s job to work for the people and not the people to be slaves to the government. If we don’t work to keep it that way, it can get there fairly quickly.”
Kalp’s perspective is that she wants people locally to feel like their vote counts and matters and they have a voice in local government. She is passionate about voters’ rights, women’s issues, affordable healthcare and education and training for all Missourians.
She said, “People are worrying that their voting doesn’t count because they are just going to change it anyway. That needs to change.”
Both candidates plan to pursue campaign strategies of talking to residents to get their feedback and hold meet and greets to get to know voters’ issues across the county.
Cupps lives in Shell Knob with his wife, Kim, a third grade teacher at Cassville Schools. He runs a diversified farming operation with his father and twin brother. He has a bachelors degree in agricultural education from Missouri State University and pursued a masters in agricultural business before taking an agricultural logistics sector position with a company based out of Boise, Idaho.
Kalp moved to the Cassville area in 2015. She grew up with her father in the military. She works as a computer programmer and owns a farm near Star City, where she raises Arabian horses, goats and sheep. Kalp is originally from the Boston area, has a degree from Boston College in European and American History and studied law in Lansing Michigan for two years. She is a single mom raising two adopted special needs children, speaks Spanish and is passionate about animal rescue.
