Bethany Mann

“I support a comprehensive, progressive rural‑health strategy that brings care closer to home, modernizes rural systems, and ensures every Missourian — no matter their ZIP code — can access high‑quality care. Rural and suburban communities face shortages in primary care, maternity care, behavioral‑health providers, and secure digital infrastructure. My priorities include expanding rural clinics, community health hubs, and mobile care; strengthening behavioral‑health and substance‑use treatment; investing in rural healthcare workers through training pipelines, loan forgiveness, and fair wages; and modernizing digital infrastructure with universal broadband and sustainable telehealth reimbursement. I support Healthcare for All so every American can access care. I also back payment reforms that keep rural hospitals open, federal support for value‑based care, and stabilization grants for hospitals at risk of closure. Finally, I will fight for maternal‑health access, more resources for EMS & first responders, reproductive care, expanded midwife‑led birthing centers, and stronger prenatal and postpartum programs — because every Missouri family deserves safe, reliable care close to home.”

“I am an environmental chemist with a career in ag production/manufacturing, energy infrastructure, and technology. I support a fair, competitive rural economy where family farms and workers — not corporate monopolies — shape Missouri’s future. That starts with strong anti‑monopoly enforcement, including tougher Packers & Stockyards Act protections and action against anti‑competitive practices by large meatpackers, grain buyers, and ag conglomerates. I support fair labor standards for farmworkers, including the right to unionize, overtime and minimum‑wage protections, and stronger safety rules for pesticide exposure, heat stress, and field conditions. Rural communities need modern infrastructure, including universal broadband for precision agriculture and telehealth, upgraded roads and water systems, and a guaranteed Right to Repair farm equipment. I back climate‑smart agriculture with federal grants for regenerative farming, soil‑health improvements, carbon‑sequestration practices, renewable‑energy adoption, and expanded USDA conservation programs. I will fight to protect family farms by expanding access to low‑interest USDA loans, improving crop‑insurance options for small & diversified farms, and preventing foreign or corporate land grabs that threaten Missouri’s agricultural heritage or personal property rights. To strengthen local food systems, I support funding for food hubs, farmers markets, regional processing, farm‑to‑school programs and trade apprenticeships, and grants that help small and mid‑sized farms compete.”

“My technical background in water chemistry, environmental contaminants, regulatory compliance, and labor standards make me uniquely qualified to speak to this issue and offer some legislative guardrails as AI expands. Communities often request my expertise in their town halls because current officials fail to provide clear, science‑based evaluations of impacts on water systems, waste streams, and local infrastructure. Data centers create broadband expansion and high‑wage construction employment, but they also introduce significant risks: high‑volume water withdrawal, thermal‑load discharge, hazardous electronic waste, grid‑load instability, acoustic pollution, and land‑use pressure driven by opportunity‑zone incentives. These factors require rigorous environmental and regulatory oversight. A responsible development framework must include transparent reporting of water and energy demand, independent environmental impact assessments, and enforceable protections for residential water systems and aquifers. Regulatory compliance should prioritize community safety over corporate tax‑abatement strategies. Facilities should be required to upgrade existing energy infrastructure using American‑made components and union labor; deploy low‑water or closed‑loop cooling technologies with continuous environmental monitoring of air and water; maintain decommissioning and remediation plans; and integrate renewable‑energy and grid‑modernization systems without federal land seizure. Union labor is essential to ensuring prevailing‑wage compliance, collective‑bargaining protections, and robust occupational‑safety enforcement.”

“I will follow the data and work to expand science literacy in every space, especially Congress, where responsible policy must be grounded in independent expertise. My career has been shaped by scientists who treat evidence as the foundation for decisions in agriculture, infrastructure, public health, defense, and environmental stewardship. As a chemist specializing in laboratory and process technology, I’ve trained with early innovators in near‑infrared spectroscopy, ion chromatography, and mass spectrometry. I’ve seen how modern analytical tools make agriculture, energy, and manufacturing safer by reducing chemical exposure and improving precision. Federal agencies and educational institutions built these systems to strengthen crop science, animal health, and environmental protection, and I support fully funding and rebuilding these programs, especially in the Midwest. I also understand the ethical and economic challenges of the digital revolution and its implications for workforce training, wages, and grid security. My legislative priorities include expanding clean‑water and public‑health programs, including PFAS and lead removal near military bases, airports, firehouses, data centers, and industrial sites. I rely on labor and environmental experts to shape infrastructure policy that protects working families. I support whistleblower protections for scientists to preserve independent, bipartisan credibility. I would also use my technical background to help develop a federal AI taskforce to address community concerns about data‑center impacts and expanded clean manufacturing projects.”

“Missouri’s educational system trails behind most American states and many NATO and other developed countries, leaving our students and workers without the tools and critical thinking skills that they need to compete in a global economy. My plan builds a lifelong science‑literacy pipeline beginning in early childhood and continuing through K–12, career training, and union apprenticeships. It starts with universal, publicly funded pre‑K so every child enters school with strong early learning foundations. Investments in Head Start, teacher pay, and early‑childhood workforce pay ensure high‑quality classrooms in every community. I support strengthening pre-k through 12 STEM education through modern labs, rural broadband, safe school buildings, and expanded Career & Technical Education. Federal grants will support updated science curricula, teacher recruitment programs, and partnerships that connect students to hands‑on learning in agriculture, environmental science, engineering, and skilled trades. To bridge education and the workforce, my plan expands registered union apprenticeships and builds formal pathways from high school into the trades. Federal incentives will support apprenticeship programs in clean energy, infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and climate‑resilient agriculture, while protecting collective bargaining rights. Finally, environmental and agricultural literacy will be integrated throughout the pipeline. Farm‑to‑school programs, water‑quality education, and rural STEM access ensure students understand the science shaping their communities. Investments in agricultural research and climate‑resilience training prepare the next generation of workers, farmers, and technicians to meet emerging challenges.”