Candidates for 33rd Senate District (Nov. 3, 2020)


Karla Eslinger

Tammy Harty

Karla Eslinger

REPUBLICAN

 

Personal information: My husband, David, and I have been married 38 years; we live on the family farm and own a small business. We have two daughters, Chelsey Gilmore and Katy Chapman, who are both teachers. 

Experience and education: I was first elected as a State Representative for District 155 in 2018. Before that, I was a superintendent of the Ava and West Plains school districts for many years. My experience managing rural school districts gives me an informed perspective on the challenges facing our children and the next generation. Our district is losing jobs and losing dollars. I believe a focus on education and workforce development (two House committees I am on), are exactly what we need to have represented in the Senate.

Thoughts about legislation that replaces local control with state control on issues related to such things as concentrated animal feeding operations and when school districts can start their year: Agriculture is a driving force for the economic engine in the state of Missouri; our rural areas are continually challenged with keeping opportunities available for both business and our youth. When local government infringes on our rights and freedoms or exceeds the authority granted to them by the Constitution, the state is placed in the unique position to ensure the rights of the individual even when not everyone will agree with the decision 

What goal or project do you hope to accomplish? The first thing I want to accomplish is passing a Constitutional Amendment to protect pre-existing conditions. I also believe we must bring back jobs from China: My Missouri Strategic Manufacturing Initiative will target those industries that manufacture strategic products in China and work to bring those manufacturing jobs back to Missouri. We can keep those jobs if we reduce unnecessary regulations, end frivolous lawsuits and focus on workforce development – workforce development that emphasizes training and retraining in high-demand industries. My plan would place a greater emphasis on community colleges, technical schools and vocational education so we have a workforce ready for the jobs of tomorrow. Finally, rural broadband is an absolute necessity if we are to move forward with the rest of the state. Our hospitals, our schools and our jobs are held back by a lack of easy access to quality broadband. 

What distinguishes you from your opponent? I have decades of frontline experience, from many perspectives, on the challenges that face our Senate district. I have worked from within the school districts as a teacher, a principal and a superintendent, and later, outside the school districts, as an assistant commissioner with the Missouri Department of Education. I have sat on House committees on education and workforce development. I own a family business with my husband and know the challenges small businesses face. In addition, I am committed to protect and support our farmers, small business owners and our rural values.   

 

 

Tammy Harty

DEMOCRAT

 

Personal information: I was raised in Jefferson City then in Doniphan. In 2010 I moved to my grandfather’s farm in Ripley County. I am married to Ralph Glenn Harty, a bus driver for Poplar Bluff Public Schools. Our blended family includes three adult daughters and one son, plus twin grandsons.

Education and experience: I graduated from Doniphan High School in 1978 and then from Southeast Missouri State University with a B.A. in communications. I then worked for Rust Communications covering hard news. After my first daughter was born, I became a classroom teacher and reading specialist in Cape Girardeau Public Schools and earned a master’s degree in education. 

Thoughts about legislation that replaces control with state control on issues related to such things as concentrated animal feeding operations and when school districts can start their year: I believe property owners and communities have a right to protect their land and water for themselves and future generations. A community also has the right to determine its own economic future. The state is welcome to offer incentives to help achieve its economic interests, but final decisions should be local. Also, I do not agree with mandatory school calendar start times. I prefer local control. While the state may offer incentives for school districts to support tourism, nothing should be mandated because every community is different. Local people need to be able to make their own decisions as much as possible unless lives are in danger. 

What goal or project do you hope to accomplish? Obviously, the biggest issue now is the economy and supporting it during covid – which was completely mishandled in Missouri. State government gave free rein to big business: big box stores made record profits while small business, the backbone of our communities, was left in tatters. Instead, small business should have been prioritized. 

Also, affordable and available broadband is essential for education, small business and farming, to prosper and grow in rural communities. That issue must be addressed immediately.

My campaign’s focus is on improving and insuring access to medical care, strengthening the economy and supporting education. 

What distinguishes you from your opponents? While I have lived in both urban and rural communities and have a background as an educator and communicator, my greatest asset is being able to cross the aisle and get things done. I come from a Republican family and a Republican community, and I’m married to a Republican. I chose to run as a Democrat because I think both parties are in transition. I’m good at listening to all points of view and then building a compromise that serves everyone’s interests instead of being perpetually locked in stalemate. We must start pulling people together rather than dividing them. 

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