Meet Joshua
From Here. For Here.
I grew up in the Ozarks. This is home.
Growing up here, I watched neighbors choose between groceries and medicine, families work multiple jobs and still struggle to get ahead, seniors stretch every dollar on a fixed income, and too many young people leave because they don't believe they can build a future here. The people of the Ozarks work hard, but for too long we've been represented by politicians who put powerful interests ahead of our communities.
My own life wasn't always easy. I grew up in a difficult home shaped by a strict religious environment, but this community never gave up on me. The people of the Ozarks showed me kindness, believed in me, and gave me the support I needed to build a better future.
Growing up, I sold baked goods at the local farmers market. Later, I worked at a local coffee roastery, where I met farmers, retirees, small business owners, and working families from across the Ozarks. Day after day, I heard the same concerns: wages that don't keep up with the cost of living, roads and bridges that need repairs, schools that deserve better, and a government that too often seems more interested in helping wealthy corporations than the people who actually live here.
That's why I'm running for State Representative.
I believe the people of the Ozarks deserve a representative who remembers where they came from, answers to the people instead of corporate lobbyists, and fights every day to make this a place where our children can afford to stay, our seniors can retire with dignity, and working families can build a better future.
I was raised in the Ozarks. I share the values of the people who call these hills home. And I'm ready to put those values into action in Jefferson City.
Ozarks Raised. Ozarks Values. Ozarks in Action.
Endorsements & Distinctions
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Ozarks Raised. Ozarks Values. Ozarks In Action.
Advocating For Missouri Voters
Missouri’s constitution gives the people the right to pass laws through the ballot initiative process because sometimes politicians in Jefferson City stop listening to the people who sent them there.
Recently, corporate interests and their allies in the legislature have tried to undermine that process. When voters approved Proposition A to raise the minimum wage and guarantee paid sick leave, politicians moved to overturn it rather than respect the will of the people.
That’s wrong. When Missourians vote, that decision should stand, and I will fight to protect the initiative process from being weakened by corporate lobbyists
Stop Data Centers From Taking Over The Ozarks
I oppose data centers in the Ozarks, and I will use the office of State Representative to safeguard the Ozarks from the influence of Big Tech.
If you send me to Jefferson City, I will file legislation on day one to ensure that local communities have the final say over whether a data center is built in their backyard. For too long, our government has listened to wealthy interests instead of the people that they were sent to serve.
When the people of the Ozarks speak, leaders should listen.
Affordable Healthcare
Healthcare costs are crushing families across Missouri. Too many people are skipping doctor visits, rationing medication, or going into debt just to stay healthy. In rural parts of our state, people often have to drive an hour or more just to see a doctor, and when hospitals close it leaves entire communities without care. I support universal healthcare and will fight to protect Medicaid expansion so that everyone can get the care they need without going broke.
Strong Public Schools
Public schools hold our communities together, especially in rural Missouri. But politicians in Jefferson City keep trying to divert funding away from local schools.
I will fight to fully fund public education, support our teachers, and make sure every student has access to free breakfast and lunch at school so no child has to try to learn on an empty stomach.
Missouri Ranchers & Farmers First. Always.
Our farmers and ranchers deserve leaders who will fight for them. In the state house I will advocate for policies that support our small family farms and ranches. This means I will fight to:
Require county of origin labels so Missourians know where their food is coming from
Stop corporate agriculture and CAFOs from pushing out family farms.
Break up meatpacking monopolies that harm ranchers and consumers.
No Mass Surveillance in Our Backyards.
I will fight to stop mass surveillance from taking over the Ozarks. Flock-style cameras have no place in rural Missouri. In the statehouse, I will fight to take back the tax incentives that are funding these AI-powered cameras and fight for rigid privacy protections for our communites.
The Ozarks is for Everyone.
I will always advocate for every Missourian regardless of race, sex, ethnic origin, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. For too long, our leaders have used exclusion to further their political agendas. I will stand up and fight for every member of our community and for their full civil rights and liberties.
No Tax Increases for Seniors, Service Members, and Families.
Unlike my opponent, who helped write Amendment 5, I was proud to help defeat it at the ballot box. Amendment 5 was a tax increase on seniors, service members, and working families. We should not be cutting taxes for the wealthy and increasing taxes on folks who are struggling. In the statehouse, I will fight for meaningful tax reform that benefits our seniors on fixed incomes and hardworking middle-class families.
