Two Republican incumbents representing Boone County in Congress won reelection Tuesday.

Rep. Bob Onder of Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District was reelected for his second term, defeating Democrat candidate Bethany Mann in a repeat of 2024’s race.

Republican Rep. Mark Alford was reelected to a third term in the 4th District, defeating Democrat Jordan Herrera. The race was called with him receiving 64.2% of votes in the district. In 2024, he received over 71% of the vote.

In the 3rd District, Onder was receiving 54.1% of the votes, which encompasses a large portion of southern Columbia, and several western suburbs of St. Louis, including St. Charles and St. Peters, and much of mid-Missouri, including the state capital, Jefferson City.

In 2024, he received 61.3% of the vote.

Onder formerly served terms in both the Missouri House of Representatives and the Missouri Senate. He also works as a physician and lawyer.

Onder has campaigned against abortion and is in favor of preventing illegal immigration. His other priorities include protecting Second Amendment rights, welfare reform, which would limit food stamp usage, and removal of regulations that are damaging to farmers.

In a speech in September, Onder made clear he will continue to push for limits on the power of Missouri’s ballot initiative system, arguing the system goes too far.

“We have too much direct democracy, we have government by initiative petition. Paid signature-gatherer shoving petitions in front of people’s face in front of Walmart, people signing because they wanna get that guy out of their face,” Onder said. “And paid for by out-of-state special interests to buy amendments to the Missouri Constitution.”

Onder expressed before the election that he intends to stay in-line with both his previous policies and what he sees as the direction of the Republican Party. He spoke positively about Republican immigration policy in particular.

“We have detained and deported … criminal illegal aliens and other illegal aliens as well, and they all should be deported, in an unprecedented scale,” Onder said.

“We want to stay on the same path of greater energy independence, lower inflation, more energy production, safe and secure streets, secure borders,” Onder said, “rather than going back to the failed policies of the Biden administration.”

“The strength of Missouri is not found in the halls of Congress,” Alford said in a post-victory speech. “It’s found around kitchen tables, it’s found in churches on Sunday mornings. It’s found in the cornfields of Missouri and the oxen houses, in the small businesses on main street.”

“It’s also found in the quiet strength of parents who wake up every morning determined to give their children a better life,” he continued. “That is the America worth fighting for.”

Alford, a former news anchor and small business owner from Kansas City, was first elected in 2022. His priorities include supporting agriculture, eliminating DEI hiring practices in the military, strengthening national security, defense of Second Amendment rights, decreasing the burdens to rural small-business owners and providing support for veterans.

In April, Alford introduced the Fair and Accurate Ingredient Representation on Labels Act, which would restrict how plant-based and lab-grown meat alternatives can be labeled. Before his reelection, he said he hopes to continue working to get the bill implemented, working collaboratively with Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Alford also said prior to the election that he hears constituents’ concerns about the economy amid the Iran War. While he understands the worries, he also believes higher prices are worth the security.

“I think most people my age understand the reality of the threat that this Islamic regime has been, not just to that region, but to the world,” he said. “And to ensure they never have a nuclear weapon, I’m willing to pay an extra $20 a week in fuel as I travel the district.”

Both Onder and Alford are accustomed to serving as part of a Republican majority, and have expressed concern for what a Democrat-led House could mean for their party’s accomplishments.

“(Democrats) are gonna try to reopen the border. They’re gonna try to pull back on everything that we’ve accomplished with the One Big Beautiful Bill staving off, preventing the largest tax increase in U.S. history,” Alford said.

“They’re going to want to renew those taxes, and all this work that we have done, they’re going to try to disassemble,” he added.

In District 2, Democrat Fred Wellman defeated incumbent Republican Ann Wagner giving Missouri three Democratic U.S. representatives with Democratic Reps. Wesley Bell and Emanual Cleaver winning reelection in their districts.