WESTPHALIA — Republican voters in Missouri’s 61st House District will choose between incumbent Rep. Bruce Sassmann and challenger John Grady in the Aug. 4 primary, with the two candidates presenting different priorities and governing philosophies during a Republican dinner in Westphalia.

Sassmann, who has represented the district for six years, emphasized legislative experience, relationships within the Capitol, and a practical approach to governing. Grady, a first-time legislative candidate, focused on reducing government spending, reforming property taxes, and returning more decision-making to local communities.

Sassmann, a native of Bland, opened his remarks by thanking organizers of the dinner, saying he was “really glad that we’re getting back on track,” before reflecting on his time in office. He noted that Missouri’s term limits mean this would be his final opportunity to serve in the House.

“At the age of 75, this will be my last opportunity to represent you in the House of Representatives,” Sassmann said. “It has been a great honor.”

He described himself as someone who avoids political headlines in favor of day-to-day legislative work.

“If you’ve been watching my work in the legislature, you know I am not seeking the spotlight. I am not the celebrity politician chasing the most popular topics of the day,” he said. “I prefer to think of myself as a meat-and-potato legislator trying to keep my head down, focused on the work that makes our life better.”

Sassmann said he expects his final legislative session to be his most productive because of the experience he has gained and the relationships he has built in Jefferson City.

“My senior year will be my most promising. I know how the system works. I have a great relationship with the incoming Speaker of the House and the senior class,” he said. “I expect the speaker to challenge me with meaningful legislation that keeps the wheels of government turning without running over the folks that are putting fuel in the tank.”

He also highlighted the committees on which he has served, including conservation and natural resources, financial institutions, higher education and workforce development, rural economic development, corrections, small business, and tourism.

Sassmann said his public service is shaped by personal convictions.

“I recognize the fragility of the land and believe we should make the best use of our resources,” he said. “I have prioritized my support for public education. I believe we should all continue to promote a conservative government and agenda.”

He concluded by emphasizing constituent service, telling attendees that anyone needing help navigating state government should contact him.

“If you’d like to chat, I believe I can help with a problem related to the services the state provides, reach out to me,” Sassmann said. “You’ll find my phone number and contact information in the newspaper every week.”

Grady introduced himself by describing his background before outlining the experiences that shaped his political views. A self-described “transplant,” Grady said he purchased land in Gasconade County in 2015 before moving to his farm in 2018.

A former Marine who later served as a Navy Seabee, Grady said his military service included two tours in Iraq and disaster recovery work following Hurricane Katrina. Those experiences, he said, shaped his views on government.

“My second tour in Iraq, I came home to Hurricane Katrina, which was really fun, coming from one war zone to another one, which was my backyard,” Grady said. “I learned a lot about what happens when the government is supposed to be there for you, and they’re not.”

Grady said it was neighbors who helped each other during the crisis. “You hear this rhetoric come around here, (that) talks about our neighbors and our countrymen being our enemy, and I find that untenable,” he said. “Because the simple fact of the matter is I believe in what’s called pietas, that’s love of God, a love of neighbor, and a love of country.”

He said political disagreements should not divide communities.

“Our neighbor is not our enemy. Our neighbor may have a different view, but our neighbor is still our neighbor,” Grady said.

Grady said conversations with voters have largely centered on rising property taxes rather than income taxes.

“I’ve been knocking on doors,” he said. “I’ve got over 3,500 doors I’ve knocked personally on my hands, and I’m talking to people, and they’re worried about property taxes. They’re worried about real estate taxes. They don’t care about income tax because most of the people I’ve talked to are retired. They’re worried about being taxed out of the home they worked to save.”

To address those concerns, Grady proposed exempting paid-off owner-occupied homes from property taxes.

“If you pay off your home, you don’t have to pay taxes on that ever again until you sell that house or you turn it into a commercial property,” he said. “If you own a home, you should own a home, and you shouldn’t have to lease it from the government.”

Grady also criticized state spending, arguing that small towns are desperate for funding and more money should remain with local communities.

“There is a lot of waste that goes on in Jefferson City, and that money should be actually pushed back down to the local level, and that money is not,” he said. “It’s kept up an administrative and executive bloat that takes money away from the programs that those systems are supposed to fund, and we actually cut programs.”

Grady went on to say his son is visually impaired and has some cognitive issues due to chemotherapy. Grady said his son wanted to go into an independent living facility, but the government classified that as “a want and not a need.”

“So, we don’t want to create independent people for some reason,” he said. “We only make people dependent on the state, but then we tell them they can’t have any state funding, and then we wonder why we’re downtrodden.”

Grady said his background as a cost estimator for a construction company would influence how he approaches the state budget.

“If I am lucky enough to be elected by you guys, the first thing I’m going to do is look at those budgets,” Grady said. “I know how to look at line items.”

Grady also broke with many of the Republican speakers at the event by opposing Amendment 5, a proposed constitutional amendment that would phase out Missouri’s income tax over time.

“That’s why you’ll hear me against my party on Amendment Five, because it’s not eliminating income tax. What it is, is to cover the shortfall of the spending problem they have,” he said. “We need to listen to the communities about what’s needed, from the people, instead of forcing what we think, or what lobbyists think.”

While both candidates described themselves as conservatives, their remarks reflected different campaign themes. Sassmann emphasized experience, committee work, and his ability to navigate the legislative process during what he said would be his final term. Grady centered his campaign on reducing government spending, addressing property taxes, and pursuing structural reforms he said are priorities for voters he has met while campaigning door to door.