44th District
Caleb Rowden vs. Tom Pauley
In the race for representative in state House District 44, incumbent Republican Caleb Rowden defends against Democratic challenger Tom Pauley.
Rowden was a young newcomer who came out of the woodwork to defeat veteran Democratic lawmaker Ken Jacob in 2012. Since then, Rowden has been on a learning curve. He is a smart, well-intentioned representative who creeps toward moderation more than most of his partisan colleagues. He recently became one of the first to openly agree to ban lobbyist gifts, a position harder to avoid in the heat of a campaign. He shows signs of being willing to buck party leadership.
Rowden has a record of working well with Rep. Chris Kelly in support of the University of Missouri. He says he learned from Chris not to take disagreements among lawmakers personally. He realized Columbia is largely dependent on public funding. He believes money is speech but favors campaign spending limits. He says he would favor Medicaid expansion with reforms and thinks it will happen soon.
Caleb Rowden will continue to be a dependable Republican vote on such staples as guns and abortion but says he has come to favor gay marriage rights. He believes he is the best candidate largely because of his position in the majority party, particularly on the budget committee, where he has direct access to the chairman.
The 44th is a 50-50 district, half urban, half rural. Rowden is from Columbia.
His opponent is a Democrat from out-county Hallsville who says he is not afraid to make tough decisions.
Tom Pauley is past president of the Hallsville Chamber of Commerce and a current member of the Hallsville Board of Aldermen, a former union sheet metal worker and an MU alumnus. He has been a lobbyist for motorcyclist interests. Like Rowden, he favors abolition of helmet requirements.
Pauley decries Republican refusal to expand Medicaid and support for tax cuts threatening the infrastructure. He says it is not good for either party to have a veto-proof majority, alleging if more Democrats are elected, the body will move toward the center.
His background as a lobbyist and staffer for former Sen. Chuck Graham gives him a good understanding of how the legislature works.
Tom Pauley would support Democratic positions. Because he has a child with Down syndrome and another who is a high achiever, he sees how public education must pay attention to kids of diverse abilities rather than cater excessively to the middle. He criticizes Rowden for supporting tax cuts that damage education.
The best reasons to vote for Caleb Rowden are his support for the university and position as a majority member of the budget committee. He is a decent moderate conservative.
The best reasons to vote for Tom Pauley are support for Democratic positions on health care, abortion choice and education, and simply to provide more partisan balance in the legislature. He is a decent moderate liberal.
We need another reasonable Democrat in the legislature, a good reason to vote for Tom Pauley. If voters return Caleb Rowden to office, the district will be well served.
No comments:
Post a Comment