by Ricky Dana, Candidate for U.S. House – Missouri’s 4th District
Putting Missouri’s Military Communities First
Here in Missouri’s 4th Congressional District, our military bases and surrounding communities are more than just strategic assets—they are family, neighbors, and part of our economy. Whiteman Air Force Base, Fort Leonard Wood, and the National Guard units across Missouri need leaders who fight for their missions and for the men and women who serve. That’s not a side issue for me—it’s a top priority.
My Opponent’s Record: Committees, but No Action
Mark “Awful” Alford sits on the Appropriations and Small Business Committees. Those positions give him a seat at the table to advocate for our military installations and for Missouri veterans. But look at his record: no major proposals to strengthen Whiteman’s B-2 mission, no concrete efforts to support training and modernization at Fort Leonard Wood, and no legislation to expand healthcare or transition services for veterans in our district. Instead, he treats these committee assignments like titles for his résumé, not tools to serve Missouri.
My Priorities: Real Support for Military Families and Veterans
When I’m elected as your congressman, I will use every lever of federal support to strengthen Missouri’s military communities. That means:
Protecting Base Missions: Working closely with Department of Defense leaders to ensure Whiteman and Fort Leonard Wood keep critical missions and funding, preventing any base realignment or cuts that could harm our communities.
Veteran Healthcare and Services: Expanding access to VA clinics, urgent care partnerships, and mental health programs so our veterans don’t wait months for care or drive hours to get the help they need.
Military Family Support: Securing housing, childcare, and spousal employment programs to reduce the strain on families stationed in Missouri.
Infrastructure for Base Communities: Pushing for federal grants that improve roads, schools, and broadband in base towns so local communities benefit alongside the installations.
Missouri Deserves More Than Empty Titles
Service members and veterans don’t need photo-ops—they need action. They need someone in Washington who will fight to make sure their missions are secure, their families are supported, and their service is honored. While my opponent enjoys the prestige of committee assignments without delivering results, I will prioritize Missouri’s military bases and veteran communities every single day.
When I’m elected, I’ll stand with our bases, our service members, and every veteran who calls Missouri home. Because supporting our military isn’t just good politics—it’s the right thing to do.
By Ricky Dana, Candidate for U.S. House – Missouri’s 4th District
ENGLISH — ICE and Due Process: What the Record Shows
Courts and major news outlets have documented serious due-process failures in U.S. immigration enforcement—alongside patterns of stops and arrests linked to race, accent, and language. These failures have swept up legal immigrants and, at times, even U.S. citizens. The facts demand reform that respects the Constitution and basic fairness.
Key facts: A federal court recently limited immigration raids in Southern California, barring stops based on apparent race/ethnicity or on someone speaking Spanish or accented English. Judges have also ordered ICE to improve conditions and protect confidential legal access in New York City’s holding facility. Detention has surged to record highs—approaching 59,000–60,000 people—with a large share having no criminal record. Courts have ruled for wrongfully detained U.S. citizens, including Peter Sean Brown in Florida; investigations have documented citizens held for days, months, and even years.
Bottom line: Enforcement without due process undermines public trust and violates core American values. We can secure the border, follow the law, and protect civil rights at the same time—by ending profiling, guaranteeing access to counsel, and requiring individualized suspicion for detentions.
ESPAÑOL — ICE y el debido proceso: lo que muestran los hechos
Fallos judiciales y reportajes han demostrado problemas graves de debido proceso en la aplicación de las leyes migratorias de EE. UU., junto con patrones de detenciones ligados al color de piel, al acento y al idioma. Estos problemas han afectado a inmigrantes con estatus legal e incluso, en ocasiones, a ciudadanos estadounidenses.
Datos clave: Un tribunal federal limitó redadas en el sur de California y prohibió paradas basadas en la raza aparente o en que una persona hable español o inglés con acento. Jueces ordenaron a ICE mejorar condiciones y proteger la comunicación confidencial con abogados en un centro de detención de Nueva York. La detención alcanzó niveles récord (cerca de 59,000–60,000 personas), muchas sin antecedentes penales. Tribunales fallaron a favor de ciudadanos detenidos por error, como Peter Sean Brown en Florida.
Conclusión: Hacer cumplir la ley sin respetar el debido proceso viola valores fundamentales. Debemos terminar el perfilamiento, garantizar acceso a abogados y exigir sospecha individualizada para las detenciones.
FRANÇAIS — ICE et le droit au procès équitable : ce que montrent les preuves
Des décisions de justice et des enquêtes médiatiques révèlent de graves atteintes au droit au procès équitable dans l’application des lois migratoires des États-Unis, ainsi que des contrôles fondés sur la couleur de peau, l’accent ou la langue. Des résidents réguliers—et même des citoyens américains—en ont été victimes.
À retenir : Un tribunal fédéral a restreint des opérations en Californie du Sud, interdisant des contrôles fondés sur l’origine apparente ou le fait de parler espagnol ou un anglais avec accent. Des juges ont aussi ordonné à l’ICE d’améliorer les conditions et l’accès confidentiel aux avocats à New York. La détention atteint un niveau record (≈59 000–60 000), beaucoup sans casier criminel. Les tribunaux ont donné raison à des citoyens détenus à tort, comme Peter Sean Brown en Floride.
Conclusion : Sécurité et droits constitutionnels doivent aller de pair : pas de profilage, accès à un conseil, suspicion individualisée.
العربية — آيس والإجراءات القانونية الواجبة: ما تُظهره الوقائع
تكشف أحكام المحاكم وتقارير إعلامية عن انتهاكات خطيرة للإجراءات القانونية الواجبة في إنفاذ قوانين الهجرة بالولايات المتحدة، إضافة إلى أنماط من الإيقاف والاعتقال المرتبطة بالعرق أو اللكنة أو اللغة. وقد شملت هذه الانتهاكات مهاجرين قانونيين وأحيانًا مواطنين أمريكيين.
حقائق أساسية: حدّت محكمة فيدرالية من المداهمات بجنوب كاليفورنيا، ومنعت الإيقاف بناءً على العِرق الظاهر أو التحدث بالإسبانية أو الإنجليزية بلكنة. وأمرت محاكم بتحسين الظروف وضمان التواصل السري مع المحامين في منشأة نيويورك. بلغ الاحتجاز مستوى قياسياً يقارب 59–60 ألف شخص، وكثيرون بلا سجل جنائي. كما أنصف القضاء مواطنين احتُجزوا بالخطأ، منهم بيتر شون براون في فلوريدا.
الخلاصة: يجب إنهاء التنميط وضمان الوصول إلى المحامين واشتراط الاشتباه الفردي قبل الاحتجاز.
SOMALI — ICE iyo Hab-raaca Caddaaladda
Go’aammo maxkamadeed iyo warbixinno madax-bannaan ayaa muujiyay dhibaatooyin culus oo ku saabsan due process (hab-raaca caddaaladda) ee fulinta qaanuunka socdaalka ee Maraykanka, iyo qaabyo joojin/qabasho oo ku xiran midabka, lahjadda, ama luqadda. Tani waxay saameysay muhaajiriin sharciyeysan iyo mararka qaarkood xataa muwaadiniin Maraykan ah.
Waxyaabaha muhiimka ah: Maxkamad federaal ah ayaa xaddidday howl-galada Koonfurta California, kana mamnuucday joojinta qof ku saleysan muuqaalka jinsiyadeed ama ku hadalka Isbaanish ama Ingiriisi lahjad leh. Garsoorayaal ayaa sidoo kale amray hagaajinta xaaladaha iyo helitaanka sirta ah ee qareennada xarun ku taal New York. Tirada dadka la hayo ayaa gaartay heer taariikhi ah (qiyaastii 59,000–60,000), kuwa badanna dambiyo ma leh. Maxkamado ayaa garab istaagay muwaadiniin si khalad ah loo hayay, sida Peter Sean Brown ee Florida.
Gunaanad: Ilaalinta xuduudaha iyo ilaalinta xuquuqda dastuuriga ahi waa inay isla socdaan—jooji qaybinta jinsiyadeed, xaqiiji helitaanka qareen, oo u baahow tuhun gaar ah ka hor xabsi.
by Ricky Dana, Candidate for U.S. House – Missouri’s 4th District
Mark “Awful for Missouri” Alford Turns Oversight into a Vacation
When a member of Congress travels overseas on official business, it is not just another trip. It is a chance to show respect to our allies, evaluate America’s readiness, and, most importantly, to honor the service of the men and women who wear our nation’s uniform. But Mark “Awful” Alford has once again shown he does not take his responsibility seriously. He showed up to a U.S. military base visit overseas wearing shorts. Yes—shorts. On an official congressional delegation.
This is not about fashion. It is about respect. It is about representing Missouri and the United States with dignity. When Alford dresses like he is at a backyard cookout instead of an official military briefing, he sends a clear message: he sees his taxpayer-funded trip as a personal vacation, not a solemn duty. That matters, because perception is reality in politics. To the service members standing in full dress uniforms and to the international leaders watching, his choice looked unserious, careless, and disrespectful.
Taxpayer Dollars, Tourist Behavior
Missourians should not have to pay for a congressman to play tourist in Europe. Trips like these are funded by hardworking families—farmers trying to stretch every dollar to cover the cost of feed and fertilizer, veterans navigating a strained VA system, parents working two jobs to keep food on the table. They expect their representatives to treat every dollar as sacred, not as a ticket to a sightseeing junket.
Overseas congressional trips are supposed to be oversight missions. Members of Congress are tasked with inspecting military facilities, understanding regional security threats, and ensuring America’s investments abroad are being spent wisely. These trips are not perks. They are responsibilities. When Alford shows up unprepared and underdressed, it tells Missourians he is not focused on oversight. He is focused on himself.
In a time when so many families in Missouri’s 4th District are fighting to get by, this kind of behavior is salt in the wound. It sends the message that while regular folks struggle, their representative is on a taxpayer-funded European holiday. Missouri families deserve more than a congressman who treats official duties like vacation days.
Respect for Service Members
The men and women stationed overseas sacrifice daily for our nation. They live far from home, work long hours, and serve in conditions that most Americans cannot imagine. When members of Congress visit them, it should be a moment of solidarity and respect. Every detail matters. A representative should carry himself with dignity, because he is not just representing himself—he is representing Missouri, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the entire country.
By showing up in shorts, Alford sent the opposite message. It trivialized the seriousness of the visit. Service members notice these things. They notice when their elected officials stand with them, and they notice when their officials treat their sacrifices as little more than a backdrop for photo opportunities. Missouri deserves a representative who shows gratitude and honor—not one who makes a joke of the occasion.
Missouri Deserves Better
What does this all boil down to? Respect. Respect for the office. Respect for the taxpayers footing the bill. Respect for the service members who deserve to be taken seriously. Mark “Awful” Alford has shown once again that he is more interested in playing celebrity and sightseeing on the taxpayers’ dime than in fulfilling the responsibilities of his office.
Missourians deserve a representative who understands that every trip is about service, not self-interest. Every briefing matters. Every interaction with service members carries weight. Every taxpayer dollar should be treated with care, not wasted on a congressman’s European photo-op in shorts.
When I’m elected as your congressman, I will carry Missouri’s voice with seriousness and respect. I will honor our service members, treat taxpayer funds as sacred, and ensure every action I take reflects the dignity of the office. Shorts on a military base? That will never happen under my watch. Because representing Missouri is not about sightseeing—it is about serving.
I’m cutting through the headlines on the big issues that matter to Missouri’s 4th District: federal spending, the border, the farm bill, VA care, Social Security, and rural broadband. Here’s what’s real, what’s spin, and what it means for us.
What’s Moving—and What’s Just Noise
Federal Spending — Half-Built, Deadline Looming. The Senate passed a “minibus” that covers Agriculture and Military Construction–VA. The House still has work to do before the September 30 deadline. That’s not “mission accomplished.” We need a full budget on time—no shutdown brinkmanship.
Border Policy — Courts Are in the Mix. The White House paused refugee admissions starting January 27. It also issued new entry restrictions from certain countries. Separate legal fights are underway over attempts to limit asylum and over a birthright citizenship order. Bottom line: the border is not “closed,” and asylum isn’t “over.” Policies are being tested in court and some are on hold.
Farm Bill — One Foot In, One Foot Out. Congress extended the 2018 Farm Bill through September 30, 2025. That means the core safety net continues for now. There are proposals to update price-risk tools and dairy mechanics, but the full “Farm Bill 2.0” is still ahead. Farmers need a real, steady bill—no games.
VA Care — Easier Access; Tech Still Slow. The VA made Community Care simpler by extending many authorizations to a full year for standard services. That’s a practical win for our veterans and local providers. The electronic health record rollout remains slow and will take years, but the access change helps right now.
Social Security — Math First, Slogans Last. Trustees say the main retirement trust fund runs short in 2033 (combined OASDI in 2034) unless Congress acts. That would mean about 77–81% of scheduled benefits. No, Social Security taxes on benefits weren’t “repealed.” Some tax relief exists elsewhere, but the core issue is solvency. We need a bipartisan fix that protects current retirees and keeps promises to younger workers.
Broadband — Real Help for Rural Roads. Missouri’s BEAD Round 2 application window is open now. This is a chance to pull fiber down the gravel roads and long lanes that have been ignored for years. I’m pushing for fair maps, solid bids, and accountability so our dollars actually reach the unserved parts of MO-4.
Why This Matters to MO-4
Folks here don’t ask for much—straight talk, fair budgets, safe streets, and a government that works. We feed the country and show up for our neighbors. We deserve a Congress that meets deadlines, keeps the border orderly and lawful, delivers a real farm bill, honors veterans with faster care, and fixes Social Security without games. That’s the standard I’m holding them to, and it’s the standard I’ll bring to Washington when I’m elected as your congressman.
Bottom Line
No theater. No chest-thumping. Just do the work. I’ll keep tracking these bills and court rulings so you have the facts—not the spin.
By Ricky Dana, Candidate for U.S. House – Missouri’s 4th District
Quick Take:
Yes, I use AI — but not how the trolls think. I write every word myself. AI just checks my spelling, grammar, and facts, and helps shorten long posts so everyone can follow along. It’s a tool, not my ghostwriter.
Some people will twist anything to stir the pot. Recently, someone accused me of using AI to write my campaign posts. That’s false. I’ve been a professional writer for decades — speeches, grants, national newsletter articles, ghostwritten scripts — all before AI even existed. Writing is my craft. I don’t need AI to do it for me.
Here’s the truth: I use AI to summarize my own work for people who prefer short posts over full-length articles. I use it to check grammar, punctuation, and facts so I don’t put out misinformation. I use it to simplify complex language so more people can understand my ideas. I also use AI for some graphics — alongside Photoshop, Adobe Express, GIMP, and the work of a professional graphic artist.
That’s it.
When people feel threatened by intelligence, they often assume success must be “cheating.” I’ve learned that constructive criticism is valuable, but baseless accusations are just noise. And let’s be honest — trolls like this are often clout-chasers or political plants hoping to distract from the real issues.
Yes, AI has an environmental impact — but so do Meta, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and every other major data center you interact with daily. Singling out AI while ignoring those facts is selective outrage. For example, U.S. data centers—which power AI among other technologies—already consume over 4% of the nation’s electricity, with projections showing that could climb to 12% by 2028 [oai_citation:0‡New York Post](https://nypost.com/2024/12/25/opinion/no-more-debate-ais-energy-needs-put-every-fuel-in-play/?utm_source=chatgpt.com).
As your next congressman, I’ll never let personal bias override logic. I’ll work across party lines to craft legislation that serves everyone — not just the loudest voices or the wealthiest donors. When Congress works together, America wins. When we stay locked in partisan gridlock, Americans lose.
America is a constitutional democratic republic, but it’s sliding toward oligarchy. That happens when billionaires dictate policy and voters keep sending party-line drones to Washington. We can change that — with transparency, pragmatism, and bipartisan cooperation.
I’m not here to play the left vs. right blame game. I’m here to get results. And no troll on Facebook is going to change that.
By Ricky Dana, Candidate for U.S. House – Missouri’s 4th District
Unions built America’s middle class. They trained skilled workers, raised wages, won safer job sites, and made it possible to raise a family on honest work. I come from a working-class family right here in Missouri, and I know firsthand how important a fair wage and safe workplace are. I’m also a common-sense Democrat—someone who believes in protecting our core values while finding practical solutions that bring people together. That’s why I will stand with unions every time—because when workers have a fair voice on the job, Missouri families do better.
Today there is a clear divide. The Democratic Party continues to back workers’ rights and fair organizing rules. The other side—especially the MAGA wing of the Republican Party—is pushing policies that weaken, cancel, or block union protections. You can see it in actions, not slogans.
First, look at what the public understands: Americans say Democrats are the party that better represents union members. That is not spin; it reflects a long record of backing collective bargaining and workplace fairness, and it matches what families feel in their paychecks and safety on the job.
Second, look at the rules on the ground. Under Democratic leadership, federal labor authorities moved to speed up and protect fair union elections and recognition, so workers are not stalled or silenced by delay tactics. Those changes help level the playing field and make sure organizing is a real right, not just a talking point.
Third, look at wages. “Right-to-work” laws—pushed most often by Republican legislatures—do not raise pay. Research shows wages and benefits are lower in right-to-work states. Those laws make it harder for workers to stick together, and the result is weaker bargaining and thinner paychecks for union and non-union workers alike. That hurts small towns and local businesses up and down Missouri’s 4th District.
Finally, look at what MAGA Republicans are doing with federal workers right now. Agencies have been canceling union contracts and stripping protections for hundreds of thousands of employees, from the Department of Veterans Affairs to the Environmental Protection Agency and FEMA. These moves come under executive orders that claim “national security” while tearing up agreements that help frontline staff do their jobs safely and speak up when something’s wrong. That is not how you build a strong workforce or serve veterans and taxpayers—it’s how you silence people who know where systems are breaking.
Here’s the bottom line: Democrats are working to protect your right to organize and bargain; MAGA Republicans are trying to unwind it. If they can weaken unions in Washington, they will try to export those attacks to states like Missouri. We cannot let that happen.
When I’m elected as your congressman, I will fight for working people, not party bosses or big donors. I will support legislation that protects collective bargaining, oppose efforts to cancel or sidestep union contracts, and resist any push to pass nationwide “right-to-work.” I will back fair rules at the National Labor Relations Board, defend whistleblowers and safety committees, and make sure taxpayer-funded contractors follow the law—no union busting on the public’s dime. Most of all, I will listen to the workers who keep our farms, factories, hospitals, and schools running in Missouri’s 4th District.
Strong unions mean strong communities. That’s the choice in front of us—and I’m on the side of Missouri’s working families.
Carefully assess the actions of Missouri’s governor, Republican members of the state legislature and our Congressional delegation. Then ask yourself: Whose priorities, interests and concerns have they supported, fought for and voted for?
Certainly not those of most Missourians.
Missourians voted for candidates in various elective offices to represent and fight for their interests in Jefferson City and Washington, D.C.
Instead, many of the Republican elected officials seem to have forgotten and folded to the pressure of supporting and carrying out the agenda of the Trump administration, whether it is in the best interest and well-being of Missouri citizens or not.
Look at the behavior of Missouri senators and representatives in Congress. While some bothered to proclaim that Medicaid should not be cut, at the end of the posturing they all went along with approving the Trump administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Essentially voting for the cuts in Medicaid funding that will deny tens of thousands of Missourians life-saving services. How many rural hospitals will be affected or forced to close in the coming months and years because of these cuts?
Their actions, or failures to act, are disturbing and disconcerting.
How is it that members of the Missouri congressional delegation can get away with the abdication of carrying out their governance and oversight responsibilities?
When it comes to allowing the Trump administration to usurp Congress’s power and arbitrarily disrupt, disband and defund departments that will negatively impact Missourians. First it was the department of education that was the target, cutting needed funding for school districts.
Our representatives in Congress have been silent and given tacit support to other actions of the Trump administration.
When it comes to the impact of increased tariffs on farmers being able to export their soybeans and other produce, and the higher cost of consumer goods across the board for families already struggling to make ends meet.
When it comes to immigration tactics that disrupt business operations, the workforce in agricultural industries and the lives of innocent family members.
When it comes to the short and long-term effects of taxation policies and the national debt, the burden of which Missourians like all Americans must bear.
When there is no oversight, no checks and balanced guardrails, how can we be confident that the policies and decisions being made will be in our best interest?
The actions of our Republican governor, Republican-controlled state legislature and other government offices are in lock-step with the Trump administration as well.
An executive order adopted and ensured the implementation of dismantling DEI programs throughout governmental departments and agencies, colleges and universities, and wherever the state had authority to issue a mandate. Businesses have been sued by the state attorney general for apparent noncompliance.
What measures are being implemented to ensure that all Missourians are treated equal and have equal access and equal opportunity? A state with a diverse population base, who is helped or hurt?
The latest influence of President Trump on what goes on in Missouri is his request for the legislature to draw a new map to eliminate one of the two Democratic congressional districts to help ensure that the Republicans maintain the majority in the House after the 2026 midterm elections.
Such a move, if successful, would eliminate the congressional district that represents Kansas City and some adjacent counties, thereby diminishing or negating the impact the representation and vote of a large number of constituents, including large minority groups.
Congressional districts are usually revisited or redrawn following the U.S. Census taken every 10 years that tracks population shifts and other changes. Redrawing districts mid-cycle or in an off year is solely to provide a political advantage for one party or the other.
Missouri has six Republican and two Democratic Congressional districts.
Every Missourians should think about the meaning of the political move to change that to 7 to 1.
Fundamentally, elected officials, irrespective of their party affiliations, should represent all constituents living within their electoral boundaries despite the racial and ethnic make-up or how they may have voted.
Likewise, representative government means just that. It should represent, as best as possible, all the people it governs.
As there is growing disapproval of President Trump and many of his policies by most recent polls, why are Republican state leaders continuing to bow to the pressure of jumping on an increasingly unpopular Trump agenda?
It behooves each of us to ask a critical question.
Who, among our state Republican elected officials, is standing steadfast to promote, protect and put the priorities of Missourians first amid this national political morass?
Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: [email protected].
Graves’s “Rails to Trails” bill: a solution in search of a problem
On August 11, 2025, KTTN reported that Rep. Sam Graves introduced the “Rails to Trails Landowner Rights Act,” pitched as protection against federal “seizures.” Missouri Representatives Ann Wagner and Mark “Awful” Alford signed on, along with Bob Onder and others. Here’s the problem: the premise is wrong, and the fix makes things worse for rural communities like ours.
What the bill actually does
The bill rewrites the federal rails-to-trails program to require signed approval from each affected landowner within 30 days. It also forces any trail sponsor—often a small town or nonprofit—to promise fair-market-value payments for impacts and to take on perpetual maintenance. On top of that, it adds a new 90-day federal comment process and a mandated cost-benefit study that the local sponsor must pay for before anything moves. In plain English: one neighbor can veto the entire project, and counties get handed the bill.
What current law already guarantees
Under the National Trails System Act, unused rail corridors can be “railbanked” for interim trail use so the corridor isn’t lost forever. The U.S. Supreme Court has already upheld this framework as constitutional and made clear that if a taking occurs, landowners have a direct path to just compensation through the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. That’s been the law for decades. Federal courts have repeatedly recognized that when the Surface Transportation Board issues a Notice of Interim Trail Use (NITU), a compensable taking often occurs—and the remedy is payment, not shutting down the corridor.
So the real question isn’t whether landowners get paid—they do. It’s whether Washington should give any single person a veto that blocks everyone else’s use, stalls corridor preservation, and forces local taxpayers to shoulder new costs that federal law doesn’t require today.
Why Graves’s approach hurts rural Missouri
First, a “one-neighbor veto” means miles of rail corridor can be wasted because one signature is missing. That’s not how we get public works done. We don’t build roads, water lines, or power lines by unanimous consent of every parcel along the route. We follow a lawful process and pay fair compensation.
Second, the bill shifts costs from the federal government to small towns, counties, and volunteer groups. Requiring pre-arranged, fair-market payments and perpetual maintenance guarantees will scare off community sponsors and bury rural budgets in legal paperwork.
Third, it undermines corridor preservation. Railbanked rights-of-way aren’t just for walkers and cyclists. They keep a continuous corridor intact for future rail service and can host utilities and broadband later. Once a corridor is chopped up, it’s gone—for trains, for emergency access, for fiber, for the next generation.
About that “federal seizure” claim
Calling railbanking a federal “seizure” is political spin. The Supreme Court has already said the program stands on firm constitutional ground, and when property rights are burdened, the remedy is just compensation. That balance—public use with payment when required—is exactly how America has built infrastructure for a century.
Who pushed it
Missouri’s Mark “Awful” Alford jumped to co-sponsor, with Ann Wagner and Bob Onder joining the list. That tells you who this bill serves: not the everyday taxpaying landowner who already has compensation rights, but a political agenda that makes projects impossible and hands local governments unfunded mandates.
My commitment
When I’m elected as your congressman, I’ll defend both property rights and local taxpayers. I’ll keep the current compensation pathway intact, cut the red tape that chokes small towns, and protect rail corridors so our communities can use them—for rail, trails, utilities, and broadband—without a one-neighbor veto.
What’s happening in Texas is a warning for the whole country. A major Texas newspaper blasted Governor Greg Abbott for putting partisan map-drawing ahead of basic governance. That’s not leadership. Civil disobedience has long been part of our democratic tradition when those in power try to rig the rules. I will always stand with citizens who demand fairness and accountability—peacefully and lawfully.
Here in Missouri, I will fight for fair maps and honest government. Our congressional districts are drawn by the legislature as a regular statute. Any attempt to change maps mid-decade would still have to meet state and federal constitutional standards and would face court review. If politicians try to tilt the field before an election, I’ll push back—loudly and within the law—so Missourians keep the right to choose their leaders, not the other way around.
Reports of a possible special session to redraw Missouri’s congressional map mirror the power-grabs we’re seeing in Texas. I’m a Missouri-grown centrist who will work with anyone—Republican, Democrat, or Independent—when it helps our families, farms, and small towns. Cheating the map breaks trust and weakens government. We will not fix America by gaming districts.
Some politicians, like my opponent Mark “Awful” Alford, serve big donors and special interests first. You can see it in the money and the votes. Public records show who funds their campaigns and how they vote when it counts. That’s why I support stronger transparency, an end to partisan gerrymandering, and tighter rules on big-money influence. Missourians deserve representatives who answer to them—not to super PACs or out-of-state benefactors.
I believe in checks and balances. No governor, president, or member of Congress is above the Constitution. When leaders try to change the rules midstream, voters lose faith and problems go unsolved. The fix is simple: fair rules, fair maps, and fair elections. I’ll defend those principles in Congress every single day.
If you’re tired of division and political theater, you have a choice. Send me to Washington and I will defend fair, legal maps; work across the aisle on real solutions for broadband, rural clinics, flood recovery, farm input costs, and small business growth; strengthen transparency and anti-corruption reforms; and put principle over party and Missourians over special interests.
Missouri is strongest when the rules are honest and everyone plays by them. That’s how we lower costs, create jobs, and restore respect for our state and our country. I’ll never sell out Missourians for campaign cash. I’ll listen, be straight with you, and do the work.
This isn’t just about Texas. It’s about protecting American freedom—right here at home.
Bringing Real Action to Rural Agriculture — Not Just Election-Year Optics
By Ricky Dana, Candidate for U.S. House — Missouri’s 4th District
On August 8, 2025, Congressman Mark Alford’s office promoted the Growing Opportunities in Agriculture (GO Ag) Act. It sounds new, but it isn’t. The bill was introduced on March 19, 2024 — and it’s still sitting in committee with no movement.
So why the big splash now? Because it’s campaign season. Dusting off an old, stalled bill makes for headlines, not help. Our farmers deserve more than a press release. They deserve results.
If a bill truly matters, you work it. You build a coalition, get hearings, and move it to a vote. You don’t put your name on it, let it stall, and bring it back when you need attention. That’s not leadership. That’s optics.
What I’ll Do Differently
When I’m elected as your congressman, I’ll push to actually pass the GO Ag Act — and then go further. Here’s how:
Farmer Apprenticeship Grants: Create federal grants so experienced farmers can train young Missourians on real farms. This keeps skills local and keeps farms locally owned.
Stronger Rural Workforce Pathways: Link high schools, community colleges, and ag programs to hands-on jobs in crops, livestock, mechanics, and ag tech.
Infrastructure and Broadband: Fix farm-to-market roads and finish rural broadband so students can learn and businesses can flourish.
Veterans & Transitioning Service Members: Provide pathways from service to ag apprenticeships and farm ownership.
Why This Matters
Family farms are the backbone of Missouri. They feed our communities, strengthen our towns, and preserve values of hard work and fairness. Big money and D.C. insiders may not understand that—but I do. My vision is for the next generation of farmers to inherit both land and opportunity.
Our rural communities can’t afford more political showboating. They need a representative who fights for progress, protects Missouri’s agricultural heritage, and prioritizes people over special interests.
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