As a proud Republican and dedicated State Representative, I believe in putting Missouri First—protecting our state’s prosperity, security, and freedom before anything else. My commitment is rooted in the conservative principles of fiscal responsibility, free enterprise, individual liberty, and a government that works for the people, not against them.
When we put Missouri first, we put our families, our communities, and our future first.
A strong economy begins with opportunity. I support policies that create a business-friendly environment, empower entrepreneurs, and expand good-paying jobs right here at home. By reducing burdensome regulations, cutting taxes, and defending small businesses, we can unleash the full potential of Missouri’s workforce and keep our economy growing from the ground up.
Hardworking Missourians deserve the freedom to build, innovate, and succeed without government standing in their way.
Missouri First means safe communities and secure borders. I will continue to back law enforcement, support tougher penalties for violent and repeat offenders, and stand with our officers who keep our neighborhoods safe.
I also believe in enforcing the rule of law and strengthening border security to stop illegal immigration, human trafficking, and drug smuggling before it reaches our state. And I will never back down from defending our Second Amendment rights—because the right to protect our families is fundamental to our freedom.
Strong communities require strong foundations. I support responsible investment in essential infrastructure — improving roads, bridges, broadband, and utilities that connect our towns and power our economy. By modernizing our infrastructure, we open new doors for economic development, expand access to opportunity, and improve the quality of life for every Missourian.
Infrastructure investment isn’t just about concrete and steel—it’s about connecting people to jobs, goods, and each other.
Missourians know what’s best for Missouri. I’ll always fight to return power to the people, rein in out-of-control bureaucracies, and keep decision-making close to home. By putting our values and our people first, we can ensure that government serves the citizens—not the other way around.
By embracing Missouri First policies, we can strengthen our economy, protect our freedoms, and preserve the values that make our state great. Together, we can build a future where opportunity abounds, families thrive, and every Missourian has the chance to live their own American Dream—right here at home.
For too long, unelected bureaucrats have been writing rules, enforcing mandates, and reshaping policy with little to no oversight from the people’s elected representatives. These agencies act like lawmakers, yet they never stand for election and rarely face accountability. That’s not how representative government is supposed to work — and it’s time we change it.
As your State Representative, I believe the power of government must always rest with the people and their elected officials — not with unaccountable bureaucracies.
Across Missouri and across the nation, we’ve seen bureaucratic agencies stretch the limits of their authority. They issue “guidance documents” and “policy memos” that carry the force of law, bypassing the legislature entirely. I’m working to stop this abuse by restoring true checks and balances in state government.
That means giving the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) real power to review, reject, and revoke regulations that go beyond the intent of the law. Agencies should implement laws—not legislate them from behind a desk.
I fully support the REINS Act (Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny Act) at the federal level, and I’m working to apply those same principles right here in Missouri. The REINS Act requires that any major regulation with significant economic impact must be approved by the people’s elected representatives before taking effect.
This simple but powerful idea ensures that no unelected bureaucrat can impose costly, far-reaching regulations without legislative consent. I’m fighting to bring that same accountability home—requiring state agencies to obtain legislative approval for major rule changes and new mandates that affect our families, farms, and businesses.
I will continue to advance policies that make Missouri government more transparent, responsive, and accountable, including:
Requiring public cost analyses for any regulation impacting small businesses or family farms.
Creating clear appeals processes for citizens harmed by arbitrary agency actions.
Repealing outdated or redundant regulations that cost taxpayers money without improving outcomes.
Ensuring every new rule is tied to an existing law actually passed by the legislature.
Because if a policy can’t pass a vote of the people’s representatives, it has no business being enforced by an agency.
I will never stop fighting to return power where it belongs—with the people. As your State Representative, I’m committed to cutting red tape, holding bureaucrats accountable, and ensuring that no rule becomes law without the consent of the governed.
Government of the people must always mean government by the people.
Teachers are the heart of our classrooms. We must ensure they have the respect, resources, and compensation they deserve. I support policies that raise teacher pay, improve classroom support, and reduce bureaucratic burdens to help schools recruit, retain, and reward the educators who shape our children’s future.
I also believe in giving teachers and administrators the flexibility to teach effectively without unnecessary interference from government bureaucracy.
Every student, including those with special needs, deserves the opportunity to succeed. I support strengthening special education programs, improving early literacy and reading instruction, and ensuring that students have safe, focused learning environments.
From expanding access to counseling and mental health services to keeping classrooms free from distraction, my goal is to create conditions where every child can learn, grow, and reach their full potential.
Parents and local communities know best how to educate their children. I will continue supporting policies that empower parents, expand educational choice, and give local school boards more flexibility to meet community needs. That includes supporting homeschool families and rural districts alike, ensuring every family has access to quality education options that fit their values and goals.
By modernizing classrooms, investing in safety, and strengthening vocational and technical programs, we can prepare Missouri students for success in college, the trades, or entrepreneurship.
As your State Representative, I will always fight to make sure Missouri’s schools are places where teachers want to teach, parents want to send their kids, and students are excited to learn. Education is not a partisan issue; it is a promise to our children, and I intend to keep it.
As a U.S. Air Force Veteran, lifelong NRA member, and attorney who has sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution, I will never waver in defending our Second Amendment rights. I believe every law-abiding Missourian has the God-given right to protect themselves, their family, and their property. In Jefferson City, I’ll continue standing firm against radical gun-control measures and work to expand protections for responsible gun owners — ensuring Missouri remains a safe haven for freedom, faith, and firearms.
While border control is primarily a federal responsibility, states like Missouri have a critical role to play in supporting and enforcing the law within our own borders. I will work to ensure Missouri remains a state that upholds the rule of law and does not become a safe haven for illegal immigration.
I support enhancing criminal penalties for individuals who knowingly assist undocumented immigrants in defrauding our state, including those who engage in identity theft, benefits fraud, or the illegal employment of undocumented workers. Protecting taxpayer dollars and the integrity of state programs must always come first.
Our state can take a stronger stand by supporting joint operations between Missouri law enforcement and federal agencies to combat human trafficking, drug smuggling, and organized crime tied to illegal border crossings. I support funding for specialized task forces that coordinate with border states and the Department of Homeland Security to keep criminal networks from reaching Missouri communities.
I will also advocate for increased state support for local sheriffs and police departments dealing with the consequences of illegal immigration, ensuring they have the manpower, training, and resources needed to protect our citizens.
Securing our border starts with securing our communities. I will champion state-level E-Verify requirements to ensure that Missouri jobs go to legal residents and that businesses operate on a level playing field. I also support tightening eligibility for state benefits to prevent misuse by non-citizens, while ensuring that legitimate humanitarian aid is administered through proper legal channels.
As a veteran and public servant, I believe a nation without secure borders cannot remain free. I will always fight to defend Missouri’s sovereignty, uphold the rule of law, and stand with the men and women who protect our state and our borders.
Protecting our border isn’t just about national security — it’s about defending our way of life, our economy, and our future.
As a Christian, a husband, and a proud father of five, I believe every life is a precious gift from God. From the miracle of conception to the dignity of natural death, we must cherish and protect life in all its forms. Our Founders recognized that the right to life is the first and most fundamental of all rights and I will always defend it.
I oppose abortion and will continue working to ensure that Missouri leads with compassion, conviction, and courage in defending the unborn. But protecting life is about more than saying “no” to abortion — it’s about saying “yes” to hope, to love, and to real support for mothers and families in need.
That’s why I will continue to support expanding adoption opportunities, strengthening pregnancy care centers, and investing in resources that empower women to choose life. By offering grace, guidance, and tangible help, we can build a culture that honors both mother and child, one that uplifts families rather than punishes them for choosing life.
As your State Representative, I will remain a steadfast and joyful advocate for life. Together, we can make Missouri a place where every child is wanted, every mother is supported, and every life, no matter how small, is valued and protected.
In rural Missouri, the struggle to access quality healthcare isn’t just a challenge — it’s a crisis. With clinics and hospitals closing across our region, too many of our seniors, veterans, and working families are left without basic medical care. For some, a simple doctor’s visit now means driving hours or delaying treatment altogether — and that’s unacceptable.
As your State Representative, I’m working to make sure every Missourian, no matter their zip code or income, can get the care they need close to home.
I strongly support expanding practice rights for experienced Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and Assistant Physicians, empowering these highly trained professionals to serve patients in areas that lack doctors. This commonsense reform helps bring care directly to the communities that need it most and reduces wait times for families seeking primary care.
I’m also backing efforts to streamline licensing, reduce redundant oversight, and modernize telehealth laws, so that qualified professionals can deliver high-quality care without bureaucratic barriers.
We can’t fix rural healthcare without investing in the people who provide it. I’m working to expand loan forgiveness programs, state-backed incentives, and rural residency opportunities that encourage doctors, nurses, and specialists to practice—and stay—in our rural communities. By rewarding those who serve where they’re needed most, we can rebuild the healthcare workforce from the ground up.
Rural Missourians know their communities best. That’s why I’ll continue pushing for local-driven healthcare solutions that strengthen community clinics, expand access to mental and maternal health services, and grow telehealth infrastructure; not one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington or anywhere else.
Together, we can restore access to quality, affordable healthcare for every Missouri family right here at home.
For too long, powerful special interests and politically connected corporations have rigged the system in their favor—squeezing out small businesses, limiting consumer choice, and silencing competition. That’s not free enterprise, and it’s not the Missouri way. I believe in a true free market—one where hard work, innovation, and fair competition determine success, not political favors or backroom deals.
As your State Representative, I’m committed to breaking up monopolistic control and restoring a level playing field for Missouri’s families, farmers, and small business owners.
Free markets only work when they are actually free. That means no sweetheart deals, no hidden tax breaks, and no government handouts for well-connected insiders. I support reforms that promote open competition, transparency, and fairness—giving small and mid-sized businesses the same opportunities as large corporations with lobbyists in Jefferson City.
I will continue to push for greater scrutiny of state contracts, subsidies, and tax credits to ensure taxpayer dollars are being used to benefit all Missourians, not just a privileged few.
When government picks winners and losers, the people always lose. I will work to end pay-to-play politics and increase transparency in state and local decision-making so Missourians can see exactly who benefits from government deals. That includes stronger ethics laws, greater financial disclosure for entities seeking public funds, and legislative oversight of state agencies that have been captured by industry insiders.
No company should be able to buy influence or corner a market by donating to the right campaign or hiring the right lobbyist.
Crony capitalism doesn’t just hurt small businesses—it hurts farmers, workers, and consumers by driving up prices and driving out competition. I’m working to ensure fair market access for family farms, reform of agricultural licensing and inspection rules that favor big corporations, and the protection of rural producers and entrepreneurs from unfair monopolistic practices.
Whether it’s in healthcare, energy, agriculture, or cannabis regulation, I’ll continue fighting to make sure Missouri’s laws work for the people who actually live and work here, not for a handful of politically connected corporations.
Missouri’s economy should reward hard work, not political connections. I’ll continue fighting to root out corruption, stop monopolies from controlling our markets, and protect the free-market principles that made America strong.
Government should never serve the highest bidder—it should serve the people.
Matthew is incredibly grateful for all the help and support. You can chip in below to help support our campaign!
Paid for by Overcast by Missouri, Jacquelyn Whiteman, Treasurer