Springfield’s Mayor McClure’s State of the City address featured praise of individuals, organizations and the community as a whole. He commended his fellow council members, hailed city employees, and applauded recent development initiatives. However, the kind words he had for the work Senator Lincoln Hough has done in office stood out.
“Senator Hough is more than a friend to Springfieldians,” McClure said. “He is a tireless advocate, a fighter for the common good and an amazing diplomat and strategist.”
Hough, the incumbent state senator in Missouri’s 30th district, which encompasses most of Springfield, is running for reelection this year. A fourth-generation cattle farmer, Hough previously ran on a platform of education and Medicaid reform, job creation and rural broadband internet access.
Opposing him in the August Republican primary is former Springfield Zone 1 Councilwoman Angela Romine, who vacated her seat on the city council in order to run.
“I salute each member of the City Council for taking the high road in difficult times and always putting the interests of the community as a priority,” McClure said. “Springfield, like other cities in the state, has nonpartisan governing bodies. Our Charter requires it. In the past few local elections, however, we as a community have suffered the toxic effects of divisive and ugly political campaigns and tactics.”
(Photo: City of Springfield)
Romine said, in an interview with the Hauxeda, that she believes that McClure may have been alluding to her regarding controversy in recent local elections.
“Obviously I won’t be getting [McClure’s] vote, but there are plenty of people that do not agree with the mayor, which is why I was asked to run in this race,” Romine said.
McClure went on to show appreciation to each sitting council member for their service to Springfield.
Later in the address, he fondly recalled former state senators that represented the Springfield area in Jefferson City and said that Hough followed their line in ‘superb fashion’. Throughout the entirety of the address, he made no mention of Romine.
“I am glad I did not get the mayor’s endorsement,” Romine said. “I ran for City Council because I did not agree with shutting down churches, small businesses and the mask mandate. It hurt churches and small businesses. It hurt a lot of people. So I'm glad not to get that endorsement.”
While Hough received no official endorsement from McClure, the Mayor’s words of praise may prove influential in the upcoming primary election. The victor will go on to face Democrat Raymond Lampert in the general election on November 8.