By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
A third-party candidate is fighting for recognition in the Missouri United States Senate race.
Jared Young of Webb City calls himself an independent, though officially listed as the Better Party candidate attempting to unseat incumbent Republican Sen. Josh Hawley.
Young says he has had to answer one question in particular during the campaign.
“The question of why run? I feel the same way as most voters and that’s incredibly frustrated and discouraged by what the two-party system is producing right now,” Young tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post in an in-studio interview. “We feel like nothing is getting done. We can’t make any progress, even on issues where there’s broad consensus among voters. We’re getting stopped from finding solutions, because of partisan gamesmanship and partisan warfare.”
Young is 38, a Joplin business owner, with a law degree from Harvard. Young has the endorsement of former Republican Missouri US Sen. John Danforth.
Young sees immigration is a big issue in this campaign.
“I think most voters agree on two things about immigration. One, we need a secure border. And two, we need legal immigrants. They’re an incredibly important part of our economy and an incredibly important part of our culture,” Young says. “And so, it shouldn’t be hard to craft policy that acknowledges both of those truths. But again, because of partisan games, we can’t make progress on it, even though most people agree.”
The growing national debt is another big issue for Young, who says it is being ignored by Democrats and Republicans, because of short-term political thinking. Young says the debt will hinder economic growth if not addressed. Young says that if not addressed, the growing federal debt will weigh down the economy. He claims Democrats and Republicans in Washington refuse to tackle the debt, because that would require hard decisions.
Young says his polling disclosed that 43% of Missouri voters consider themselves independent with 70% of Missouri voters willing to consider an independent or third-party candidate.
“So, there’s a path there. In 2024, people are so tired, especially in Missouri, are just tired of the status quo. And so, people are open to it,” according to Young. “As I cross the state, I’ve been working on this for a year now and talking to hundreds and thousands of people across the state, and I get so many people excited about the idea. They feel like it makes sense. And so, the challenge in 2024 is not convincing people that this is a good idea. The challenge is just getting in front of four million voters and making sure four million voters are aware that they have a viable third option.”
Young is one of four candidates challenging the re-election of Hawley. Also in the race are Democrat Lucas Kunce, Libertarian W. C. Young, and Green Party candidate Nathan Kline.
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