ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. – House Speaker Pro Tem John Wiemann is running for Missouri’s 2nd State Senate District on a platform of promoting smaller government, lowering taxes and effective, conservative leadership.
“We need effective, conservative fighters in the state senate,” Wiemann told The Heartlander. “On issues like CRT, left-wing politicians and bureaucrats want to classify Missouri parents as ‘domestic terrorists’ if they dare speak out in support of their kids. Parents are tired of being told they have no right to express concerns about their children’s curriculum. We need greater transparency and accountability in education, government spending and so many other issues in state government, and I want to be an advocate for parents and taxpayers in the Missouri State Senate.”
Wiemann is one of three Republicans running to replace term-limited Sen. Bob Onder for SD 2 with fellow State Reps. Justin Hill and Nick Schroer challenging him in the primary. Wiemann has represented HD 103 since 2015.
Another issue that Wiemann plans to tackle if elected to the Senate is making the state more “business friendly.”
“One of my leading issues since entering public service is making Missouri a more business-friendly state,” Wiemann said. “Meaning less taxes, less regulations and less government.”
With encouragement from others, Wiemann made the decision to run for State Senate in March of 2019 after he was elected House Speaker Pro Tem. Since then, he has made it a point to build and strengthen as many relationships in the Capitol building as possible, knowing that stronger relationships make it easier to accomplish goals in government when it comes to negotiating and passing meaningful legislation.
“You should never waiver on your core convictions,” Wiemann said. “To be effective, a level of diplomacy and negotiation are required to persuade and protect the core values of conservatism – lower taxes, more freedom, smaller government and more transparency.”
Wiemann emphasized that strong relationships in the legislature are a massive benefit specifically to his district and St. Charles County because it helps get vital legislation and policies across the finish line.
When asked what separates him from his primary opponents who are also well-known conservatives, Wiemann had a simple answer: experience in leadership.
“For me, it ultimately comes down to someone who has proven their leadership in Jefferson City. I’ve been elected to leadership, they haven’t,” he said. “If I get elected, I intend to run for leadership positions again to be as effective as possible for my district and I believe there’s a strong possibility of me being able to win. So I think that’s a distinct advantage that I have.”
During his time in the General Assembly, Wiemann has advocated for policies relating to government transparency, 2nd Amendment protection and pro-life values. Most recently, Wiemann sponsored HB 271 during the 2021 session which, among other things, improved transparency for government expenditures and prohibited local officials from issuing blanket health restrictions such as mask mandates.
Additionally, Wiemann helped pass legislation that produced a trust fund to help pay for treatments for firefighters who have been diagnosed with cancer due to inhaling toxins. He also had a large influence in passing the COVID liability bill this year, which protects businesses and churches from lawsuits related to COVID-19 outbreaks at their establishment.
With the third quarter fundraising deadline passing earlier this month, Wiemann is currently ahead of his two colleagues with over $144,000 cash on hand. Schroer has just over $85,000 while Hill has almost $104,000 on hand.
“We need a leader who can go to Jefferson City and look out for the interests of St. Charles County so our region continues to be the fastest growing county in the state,” Wiemann declared. “I truly want to help my county and the folks in my district to continue to have a great place to live and raise their family.”
