OSAGE COUNTY — Democrat Stacy Bax says her campaign for Missouri House District 61 is built around conversations with people facing many of the same challenges as her own family.

Bax, who faces Republican incumbent Bruce Sassmann in the Nov. 3 election, said those conversations keep returning to public education, affordability, rural healthcare, and the direction of state government. “Whether Republican or Democrat, we’re all facing the same issues,” she said. “I’m just focused on the problems and not getting distracted by all the other nonsense.”

Raised in Osage County, Bax is a mother of three whose family owns Bax Timbers. She said her experiences raising her children, running a business, and helping other families shape how she would approach the job.

Her oldest son, now 26, was diagnosed with autism at age three. Her other two children have dyslexia. Bax said advocating for the services and educational support they needed helped motivate her decision to run.

Her oldest son now lives in his own space, drives, and works. Her daughter graduated with honors and is studying occupational therapy at the University of Missouri.

For Bax, those experiences demonstrate what can happen when children receive the support they need before they fall behind.

Her advocacy has also extended to helping other families navigate disability services, Medicaid, Social Security, and individualized education programs. “I never asked them what party they were with,” Bax said. “You just help people because that’s what you do.”

She said she would bring that same approach to Jefferson City. “I will work with anybody—whether they’re Democrat, Republican or Independent—as long as it benefits the people of House District 61.”

Public education remains one of her top priorities. Bax said she has met with seven of the district’s nine superintendents and wants those conversations to continue if she is elected.

School leaders have described the expense of meeting state mandates and compliance requirements, she said. Bax wants to examine those requirements with educators and reduce mandates that do not benefit students.

She also expressed concern that Missouri has not fully funded its public school foundation formula and that additional tax changes could further reduce funding available to local districts. “I think our teachers are already underpaid,” she said.

Bax said schools should also help students find careers suited to their interests and abilities, including trades. She would like to serve on legislative committees involving public education, healthcare, and mental health.

On rural healthcare, Bax said she has spoken with the CEO of Hermann Area District Hospital and would rely on people working in the field to help identify solutions.

She worries federal funding cuts could threaten rural hospitals, leaving residents farther from care and putting more pressure on the facilities that remain. She sees telehealth as another option for mental health services, follow-up appointments, and quick care, supplementing in-person treatment.

Those concerns connect to a broader question Bax said she asks about state spending: whether tax dollars are helping the people who pay them. “Is this going to benefit the people who work hard every day in Missouri, or is this going to benefit the wealthy again?” she said.

Bax questioned tax benefits for wealthy individuals and corporations while schools and working families struggle. She said she wants to examine whether that money could instead support education, healthcare, and local communities.

She said she has not accepted money from corporate political action committees and described her campaign as entirely grassroots-supported. Contributions and volunteer support have exceeded her expectations, she said.

Bax also encourages voters to review campaign finance disclosures through the Missouri Ethics Commission and Federal Election Commission websites. “I think people need to know that information before they make an educated vote,” she said.

Respecting voters’ decisions is another theme running through her campaign and her positions on November’s ballot measures. “I will never overturn the will of the voters unless there’s some constitutional problem,” Bax said. “You have to be transparent and respect the will of the voters.”

In an emailed statement, Bax outlined her opposition to Proposition A and Amendments 3, 7, and 8, and her support for Amendment 6.

She opposes Proposition A because she objects to congressional maps being redrawn mid-decade. She favors independent mapmaking and criticized the cost of redrawing maps and defending them in court. “That is not smaller government. That is the government using its power to choose its own voters instead of letting voters choose their representatives,” she wrote.

Bax opposes Amendment 3 because she does not support reversing the abortion rights protections voters approved in 2024. She also criticized combining abortion restrictions with provisions banning gender transition surgeries for minors, which she said are already prohibited under Missouri law.

She described choosing to have and raise her first son after becoming pregnant during her senior year of high school. Bax said she lives by her faith but does not believe her personal beliefs should determine medical decisions for others. “When I talk about protecting abortion access, I am talking about before fetal viability. I do not support elective abortion after fetal viability, and I never have,” she wrote.

Bax supports Amendment 6, saying it would make it harder for legislators to overturn or weaken measures voters approve. She cited legislative actions involving paid sick leave and abortion rights. “When voters pass something, that should mean something. Our legislators work for us, not the other way around,” she wrote.

She opposes Amendment 7, criticizing its proposed investment of general revenue in the stock market toward eventually eliminating state taxes. Bax expressed concern about market losses and committing revenue to a long-term plan while the state faces budget problems.

Bax also opposes Amendment 8, saying authority to initiate a sheriff’s removal should remain with local prosecutors rather than being left solely with the attorney general. “I believe in keeping power as close to the people as possible. That’s why I’m voting no on Amendment 8,” she wrote.

Throughout the campaign, Bax said she has focused on talking with residents across political lines, including people who disagree with her. “I’ve probably talked to more Republicans than I have Democrats,” she said. “I’ve had Republicans tell me they’re going to support me.”

One conversation at the Montgomery County Fair stood out. Although she and a resident disagreed on several issues, she said the exchange remained respectful. “There was no name-calling,” she said. “He shared his views. I shared my views. At the end of the conversation, he said, ‘I hope you do well. Good luck in your race.’”

Bax said those exchanges matter as communities work through their differences. “We all have different ideals and beliefs,” she said. “We all have to learn how to still respect each other even though we have differences.”

At their core, she said, most Missourians want many of the same things. “I think all of us just want good-paying jobs, to be able to go on vacation once in a while, and not just be trying to scrape by,” she said.