Clark County man aims to unseat longtime Congressman Sam Graves

By Ethan Colbert Herald-Whig

Posted: Apr. 10, 2020 12:01 am

ST. PATRICK, Mo. — The number of Democratic candidates challenging U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, a fixture of Congress for nearly two decades, in Missouri's Sixth Congressional District has increased to five.

Charles "Charley" West, 40, announced in late February that he intended to challenge Graves, who represents all of Northern Missouri in Congress as the district stretches from the Missouri River valley to the Mississippi River. The district includes Clark, Lewis, Shelby, Monroe, Marion, Ralls and Pike counties. West, who serves on the Clark County R-I School Board, said he doesn't consider himself a politician but the divisiveness and the lack of productivity in Washington prompted him to enter the congressional race. West is employed as an account manager for French Gerleman Electric in Quincy, Ill.

"Over the last several years, we have seen this political division emerge not just in Missouri but all over the country. Both parties are guilty of doing it, of putting their political parties over the needs of the American people. I think I can be a part of the solution by putting people over parties," West said. "In terms of leadership, Sam Graves has done almost nothing for this district during his almost 20 years of being in Congress. He has had a couple of commemorative coins made and had some post offices renamed."

Graves, of Tarkio, a Republican, is facing an interparty primary challenge from Chris Ryan. Should Graves emerge unscathed from the primary, he would face the winner of the five-person race for the Democratic Party's nomination and Jim Higgins of St. Louis, a Libertarian Party candidate, according to Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft.

In addition to West, the other candidates seeking the Democratic Party's nomination are Ramona Farris of Kansas City, Gena L. Ross of Platte City, Donald Robert Sartain of St. Joseph and Henry Martin of Kansas City, who unsuccessfully challenged Graves for his seat in 2018. Graves defeated Martin, winning 65% of the vote to Martin's 32%.

West acknowledged that the days of the Democratic Party's candidates having a stranglehold on the former Ninth Congressional District, known as the Bloody Ninth due to intense intraparty battles for congressional nominations, are gone. Yet, he said he feels strongly that a Democrat can still have electoral success in the district. A Democrat has not represented the region in Congress since 1996, when Harold Volkmer lost to Kenny Hulshof.

"People ask me why I am a Democrat, and I tell them that I believe the Democratic Party is the party for the working person," West said. "I am a moderate Democrat, who sees good things about people from both sides of the aisle. Everything shouldn't be about party; we have to work for the people, not the party. We need to sit 

down, work together and find solutions."

West describes himself as "very strong advocate" for issues such as public education, health care, preserving family farms, improving broadband internet access, economic development, transportation funding, better trade deals for manufacturing and agriculture, wildlife conservation, and flood control and mitigation.

"I know some people are likely going to see the 'D' next to my name and not vote for me because of what they think I stand for," West said. "I encourage them to really see what I am about as a candidate. Understand that Sam's way of saying and doing things is completely different than my way of saying and doing things."

West hopes to make public education one of the cornerstones of his campaign.

"Right now, the federal government is pushing more and more private charter schools. Public schools are not getting the funding they should for the classroom, for busing, for the amount of money per student. Instead, they are using new testing procedures to push the narrative that schools and kids are failing and that we need charter schools," West said.

A product of Clark County's public schools, West said the right of children to receive a quality public education is the backbone of the American dream.

After graduation, West attended Culver-Stockton College in Canton, where he was a collegiate athlete until he had a career-ending knee injury. After that injury, he entered the workforce. He said his job with French Gerleman gives him a better understanding of employment opportunities in the district. "In my opinion, the federal government needs to be working hand-in-hand with state government to help bring jobs back to rural areas, including Northeast Missouri," West said. "Take Holcim in Pike County, where one day company officials just up and moved the company."

The cement company, which had operated in Clarksville since 1967, was closed in 2008. West said the federal government should use tax incentives to keep companies in rural areas and to bring companies to these areas hit hardest by job losses.

West said he had hoped to bring his grassroots campaign to each of the 34 counties in the district, but those plans have been nixed because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He said he plans to campaign in each county ahead of the scheduled Aug. primary and, as the nominee, ahead of the Nov. 3, general election. In the meantime, West said he will be using his campaign website, charleswestforcongress.com, and social media accounts to reach out to voters.