On Wednesday, Dec. 6, Forsyth Mayor Missi Hesketh announced she is throwing her hat into the U.S. House of Representatives - Missouri’s 7th Congressional District race.
Hesketh was born outside of Chicago. She moved to Forsyth with her father, a retired Marine Vietnam veteran, adopted mother and little brother in 1983. After graduating from Forsyth High School, Hesketh said she, ‘flunked out of Mizzou after one semester and then proceeded to the school of life’. After the events of 9/11 Hesketh returned to college and earned a B.S. in Elementary Education. In 2006, Hesketh resettled in Forsyth with her own family. She taught at Forsyth School District for 14 years before she took a position with the Ozarks School District. Hesketh is a single mom to three children for 12 years. Hesketh has served as an alderwoman for Forsyth in 2008 and again in 2022. In April 2023, she was elected to the Forsyth Mayoral seat.
Hesketh said she decided to run for Congress for several reasons including economic and environmental impacts in the area.
“There are several reasons why I am running for Congress. First and foremost, I don’t believe that the voting record of the current seat holder is entirely in line with the priorities and interests of his constituents district-wide,” Hesketh said. “I am very concerned about who he surrounds himself with in D.C. and their stances on cutting social security benefits when so very many seniors in the 7th are already barely getting by. And I was deeply disturbed at his celebrating the passage of the House appropriations bill that cut the EPA budget by 39%. I realize that many folks in the 7th do not want to be overly regulated in any area of their lives, but I truly believe that all of us want to ensure the health of our water, air, and soil. These are the very basic essentials of life. Can you imagine the consequences to our tourism in Branson if we didn’t have protections in place for runoff? The algal bloom in Taneycomo, Bull Shoals, and Swan this summer was the worst we have seen and greatly impacted ecotourism. These are issues that should be nonpartisan as they impact all of us.
“I’m also running because I absolutely cannot wrap my mind around the fact that the current Representative of Missouri’s 7th has refused to sign on as a cosponsor to HR 82. HR 82 is a widely popular bi-partisan bill that would eliminate the Windfall Elimination Provision/Government Pension Offset (WEP/GPO). WEP/GPO drastically impacts social security benefits for anyone who worked in the private sector and then transitions to and retires from an organization with a pension or retirement system. There are 300 cosponsors of this bill and the current seat holder is not one of them. This, too, should be considered a nonpartisan issue.”
Hesketh said she wants to see an end to the negativity she feels is coming from the representatives in Washington DC.
“A large part of why I am running is also because I want to see an end to the negativity and divisiveness coming out of D.C., and our current Representative is contributing to that angst,” Hesketh said. “It’s a terrible example to set for our children and it is unproductive and not at all what we are paying him a generous salary to do. Anyone spreading misinformation is not worthy of re-election and this too should be agreed upon regardless of party.”
Hesketh said she wants to address the issues of all the residents in the district.
“This campaign is still in its infancy. Right now I can tell you that my platform is really more of a motto: I’m taking you with me,” Hesketh said. “Because while it will be my name on the ballot, and while I’m running as a Democrat, I’m taking everyone’s issues and priorities with me to D.C. should I be elected. If you’re a child living in poverty, I’m taking you with me. If you’re a single mom struggling to make ends meet because the cost of childcare is more than your mortgage, I’m taking you with me. If you’re a senior citizen worried about your social security benefits being slashed, I’m taking you with me. If you’re a teacher, firefighter, law enforcement officer, or other individual who would benefit from the elimination of WEP/GPO, I’m taking you with me. If you’ve struggled to access medical care, I’m taking you with me. If you have struggled for equity, I’m taking you with me. If you’re a farmer, I’m taking you with me. The collective priorities of the MO-07 I will take with me to D.C. to work on fixing or securing.”
According to Hesketh, she has the full support of her family.
“My kids are kind of used to me taking on challenges by this point. They’ve expressed being proud of me, and having faith in me,” Hesketh said. “I’m beginning to really grasp what the next 11 months are going to look like and I’m excited to meet a whole lot of fine folks in SWMO.”
Hesketh said an ActBlue account will be activated shortly.
“I greatly appreciate this opportunity to hear the real-life stories from our neighbors in SWMO and work toward making real progress where it is needed,” Hesketh said.
(1) comment
You might have great ideas while you’re in Taney County, but you lose me when you get to that “running as a Democrat” section. Don’t you know that Democrats lose their individuality once they leave their homes? They vote in unison - one voice. We all make fun of Republicans, arguing amongst themselves, but at least they are allowed to discuss things. Dems don’t get a voice. They vote as they are told, once they get there. I’m out.
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