Fourth Congressional District candidates make final push, outline priorities

Published 9:09 pm Friday, October 16, 2026

With Election Day approaching, candidates in Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District race are making their final appeals to voters, offering differing visions for rural health care, agriculture, government spending and representation.

Republican incumbent Mark Alford is touting his record in the district, Democratic challenger Jordan Herrera is emphasizing rural services and support for working families, and Libertarian Thomas Holbrook is calling for limits on government power.

“We are traveling the district,”Alford said. “We picked up five counties that we did not think we were going to have this time around. We’ve been serving them through our constituents offices and making visits on an official basis, but we haven’t had any campaign presence in these five counties, so we’re trying to make sure we do that now, rally the troops and get people out to vote.

Alford encouraged supporters to share his accomplishments, including returning more than $15 million to constituents and securing more than $24 million for community projects.

Those projects include $6 million for an agricultural advancement workforce training center at State Fair Community College and $750,200 for a Missouri Rural Health Innovation Center at Bothwell Regional Health Center.

Alford also pointed to his work to maintain the fighter wing at Whiteman Air Force Base and retain basic training at Fort Leonard Wood. He said his position on the House Appropriations Committee gives Missouri an important voice in federal spending decisions.

“This is not the time for change,” Alford said. “We have not had anyone from Missouri on the Appropriations Committee for 16 years, a very powerful committee, we basically write the checks to fund the government.”

Herrera aid rural health care and education need greater attention from federal lawmakers. He criticized Alford’s record and cited the loss of labor and delivery services at Fitzgibbon Hospital in Marshall as an example of the challenges facing rural communities.

“Rural healthcare and rural education are in despair,” Herrera said. “Mr. Alford has had four years to fix the issues that were already in place when the took office. Fitzgibbon Hospital filed Chapter 11 for bankruptcy and wound up selling to the highest bidder who promised to keep services there but nine days later the terminated all labor and delivery, requiring young moms to now have to drive hours for care.”

Herrera served nearly 16 years in the military, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He also spoke about overcoming combat-related trauma and said his experiences have strengthened his commitment to helping veterans, young people and struggling families.

“I believe very strongly in restoring those Medicaid dollars and fighting to protect Social Security, which is also deeply important to the people of Sedalia,” Herrera said. “Having heard their stories I am committed to making sure that every rural American, young or all of our senior has an advocate fighting for them”

Holbrook, who graduated from the University of Central Missouri, said his Libertarian candidacy gives voters an alternative to the two major parties.

“We are the alternative to the two-party system that people are accustomed to and have consistently said they’re getting fed up with,” Holbrook said.

Holbrook said rising agricultural costs are hurting Pettis County farmers and criticized tariffs imposed on other countries. He said he would support legislation or constitutional amendments limiting a president’s unilateral authority to impose tariffs.

He also proposed a constitutional amendment preventing states from redrawing congressional district boundaries until after an official census has taken place.

“That removes the ability of any future president to pressure any states, to say ‘I’m entitled to more seats, make it happen.” Holbrook said. “That gerrymandering does not help anybody.”

While Alford emphasized his congressional experience, Herrera focused on protecting rural services and Holbrook advocated limiting government authority, all three candidates said their approaches would benefit the communities they hope to represent.

“I’m not a career politician,” Holbrook said. “I’m working, struggling to pay bills like everybody else.”

Chris Howell can be reached at 660-530-0146.