Dave Raithel wants to be your district representative. If you live in the 44th Missouri House District, that is.
The district, which encompasses Ashland, Centralia, Hallsville, Hartsburg and Pierpont and several other towns, is currently represented by Cheri Toalson-Reisch, a Republican.
Raithel, speaking to 29 members of the Centralia Kiwanis Club the afternoon of October 6 over lunch at the Friendship Place,
Dave Raithel, candidate for the 44th District
described himself as “small d Democrat.”
A veteran of the US Army, with a Ph.D. in philosophy and law-school experience, Raithel painted a verbal picture of why he is running.
“This is a 60-40 district,” he said. “It’s about two-thirds of Boone County outside the Columbia City limits… It is a 60-40 district against any Democrat who wants to run.”
Demographics aside, he said, to a largely silent crowd, that he was running against Reisch because of her record, sort of.
“Cheri’s record of being a conservative would not be enough to run against her. I oppose most of her positions on choice, and on gun legislation. I tell people I am a pro-choice gun owner who believes in red flag laws and background checks on gun sales.”
Reisch’s alleged alignment “with people who threaten representative democracy,” is the reason he is running against her,
Some of Raithel’s audience.
Raithel said. “She has endorsed and promoted people who promote what I believe to be the untruth that the election of 2020 was stolen.”
He said conservatism does not seem to be sufficient, and alleged Reisch was supporting some allegations that go beyond political conservatism to maintain credibility with specific groups.
“On the first day of school she makes the allegation that Columbia Public Schools are putting litter boxes in the hallways to accommodate children with emotional disorder, such that they think they are pets and that is where they are supposed to go to the bathroom… It has been joke on the internet and people have retracted it. In Cheri’s case, she insists it does and she has her sources and she cannot reveal them because they will lose their jobs.”
He said he believes in non-sectarian public schools, local authority of public school boards and county health boards.
“I trust our neighbors to count our votes and I believe losing is not a conspiracy. I believe black lives matter and the intimate affairs of your children are none of my business…”
For the complete article, see this week’s edition of the Centralia Fireside Guard
