Coming Together to Serve Missouri
It’s been a long campaign season here in Missouri, with many good-spirited arguments from candidates of all backgrounds. Throughout the process, we got to hear each candidate for public office give his or her pitch to voters, making the case for why they should be the one to represent their constituents’ interests either in Congress, in the Missouri General Assembly or in a local elected office. We also learned about several different proposed ballot initiatives and heard others’ arguments for why they should or shouldn’t become law.
All in all, it’s been a busy last few months, with a lot of information to digest and evaluate. But now that the elections are coming to a close, it’s time for us to come together and do our best to move Missouri forward. Whether or not we are happy with the results of election night, it’s important that, whatever our differences, we remember that we are all first and foremost fellow American citizens. We should respect our neighbors, even if they think or vote differently than we do. At the end of the day, we all believe in democracy and the American Way — and that’s what really counts.
I think the upcoming holidays are a perfect time for us to temporarily put politics aside and enjoy each other’s company. Though it’s important to be engaged with the civic process — a vital part of our system of self-government — it’s also important for us to realize that politics isn’t everything. Win or lose, our daily lives will go on, and there will always be another election for us to try again if our preferred candidates and issues weren’t successful this time around. I’d like to thank the voters for their participation, and I wish the best for all of our future leaders.
As always, please feel free to call, email or write with your ideas or concerns. My Capitol office number is (573) 751-1415, my email is dan.hegeman@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 332, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.