If you could ask someone running for office about affordable housing, food security, or community justice, what would you ask? That was the challenge for attendees at Empower Missouri’s June in-person coalition meetings. In early June, I braved the construction zones of I-70 to attend the three meetings in Columbia. Members of our three coalitions, after driving through their own summer roadwork to reach Columbia, shared insights and worked together to identify the questions they most wanted candidates to answer. Coalition members filled chart paper with dozens of options before discussing and voting to identify the strongest ones. Our goal was to develop twelve questions in each priority area, and we came pretty close.
We are releasing our guide now because the weeks leading up to Missouri’s August 4th primary are one of the best opportunities to engage candidates. According to the Missouri Secretary of State, there are hundreds of people running to represent their party in the November election for the Missouri House of Representatives, and 60 more vying for the same in the Missouri Senate. This list will be significantly shortened after the August primary. In many Missouri districts the results of the primary are often decisive since the partisan lean of the district is heavily tilted towards one party or the other. This makes this a critical moment to ask candidates where they stand on issues affecting Missouri families.
Each coalition produced thoughtful questions that encourage candidates to think deeply about our issue areas. Here are a few examples.
Vivienda asequible
- Do you believe there is a housing affordability crisis in your area? If so, briefly share which constituencies you believe are most impacted and how this issue impacts their lives.
- What steps will you take to protect renters from fraudulent and discriminatory rental practices?
Community Justice
- What does a safe community look like to you? What policies would you support to create safe communities?
- In the past five years, over 500 people have died in Missouri prisons. How will you increase transparency and accountability for in-custody deaths?
Seguridad alimentaria
- Research has found that every $1 spent through SNAP generates approximately $1.50 in economic activity. Do you know how much money from SNAP benefits are spent in your district every month?
- How can Missouri get more local food into local mouths? What policies or investments would you support to expand farm-to-institution purchasing and strengthen local food supply chains?
You can view the whole set of questions in Empower Missouri’s 2026 Candidate Questions Guide.
Creating this guide also reminded us that engaging candidates is nothing new for Empower Missouri. As part of our 125th anniversary celebration, we’ve spent the past year digging through boxes of brochures, notes, and old newsletters throughout our history. Along the way, we found candidate questionnaires created by our predecessors in the 1940s and early 2000s. While the issues and language have evolved, the purpose remains remarkably consistent: ensuring that the people seeking public office are accountable to the communities they hope to represent. That continuity is no coincidence. Empower Missouri was founded in 1901 on the belief that lasting policy change begins when people come together to identify the challenges facing their communities and advocate for solutions. Our coalitions continue that tradition today.
Whether you’re attending a candidate forum, meeting a candidate at a local event, or talking to colleagues about this year’s elections, we hope these questions help spark meaningful conversations about anti-poverty policies.
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