By Garrett Hawkins, President, Missouri Farm Bureau

It’s not very often Missourians have a chance to fill an open seat in Congress. This year, with Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler vacating her seat to run for U.S. Senate, voters in the 4th Congressional District have one of those rare opportunities. After carefully evaluating all of the candidates, Missouri Farm Bureau’s grassroots Political Action Committee chose to endorse farmer and Certified Public Accountant Kalena Bruce for this seat.

The 4th District is my home, and my family has lived here for generations. It stretches from northern Columbia to the outskirts of Kansas City, then south almost to Joplin and east to include Fort Leonard Wood. We’re a rural district, an agricultural district and a national defense district. Kalena will be an outstanding leader in these areas and for the entire 4th District.

As a fifth-generation farmer herself, she and her husband Billy raise cattle and row crops in Cedar County. They also have horses, a berry farm and an auctioneer business. Living and working in a rural area, Kalena understands how hard it is for rural communities to grow and thrive. She supports improved rural broadband and healthcare so that our small towns can grow again.

As a CPA, Kalena works with individuals and small businesses to ensure budgets balance and tax laws are followed. In 2018, President Trump asked Kalena to work with his team to develop the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, his signature tax cut legislation. When he signed the bill into law, it reduced taxes for every American and fueled the economy’s tremendous growth. In a 2019 speech, President Trump publicly thanked Kalena by name for the hard work she did to help him get the bill across the finish line.

Kalena supports our military and veterans and has promised to prioritize strengthening our military bases and veterans’ benefits. She has pledged to seek spots on the Agriculture and Armed Services Committees in Congress so that she can be Missouri’s voice for farmers, ranchers, soldiers, and veterans.

We need more people in Congress who don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk. That’s what we’ll get when we elect a hardworking farmer to represent the 4th District. Please join me and vote for Kalena Bruce for Congress on August 2.