State Rep. Keri Ingle and House Speaker Jon Patterson are running in the Missouri Senate’s 8th District. The race is one of two eyed statewide for its potential to turn a historically Republican seat blue. LEE’S SUMMIT – Marching up and down the front steps of split level homes in a Lee’s Summit neighborhood on a recent Monday evening, Democratic state Rep. Keri Ingle was not the first to tell residents about the upcoming election. As her bright pink tennis shoes reached the stoop of the first house on her list, she saw a postcard with the face of House Speaker Jon Patterson – the Republican she is trying to defeat for Missouri’s 8th Senate District seat. “We need a proven commonsense leader to defend our liberties and get things done. I am prepared to be a voice for hardworking families in the Missouri Senate,” the card reads alongside a photo of Patterson in a white doctor’s coat. That both campaigns had already found their way to the same front porch was a small sign of how heavily contested the district has become. Ingle and Patterson are fighting for many of the same suburban Jackson County voters in one of the state’s few competitive Senate races, with millions of dollars and the fate of the Republican supermajority hanging over the contest. Patterson, a former general surgeon who left the medical field a few years after entering the General Assembly, labels himself an “independent voice” on his campaign’s website, highlighting times he has broken with the Republican majority. “I have not always voted along party lines,” he said in an interview with The Independent. “When I think there is something important, I’m willing to take the lead and vote how I think the district would want me to vote and what I think is best for the district and for Missouri as a whole.” Last year, Patterson was one of 13 Republicans who voted against a plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts. The new map, which would have split Jackson County among three congressional districts, was ultimately blocked from use in this year’s election after a prolonged state and federal court fight. “I’ve been very clear on this from the beginning. I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Patterson said. “I would not support chopping Jackson County in three and having Kansas City be represented by someone from, potentially, Columbia.” House Speaker Jon Patterson, a Lee’s Summit Republican, speaks at a press conference at the end of special session on June 11, 2025 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). As speaker of the House, Patterson can prevent legislation from reaching the floor. But he said voters shouldn’t assume every measure passed by the chamber reflects his own views. “For me to unilaterally veto things that a supermajority of the legislature wants, I don’t think would be appropriate,” he said. “In those cases, I just lead by example. I can go out, vote for my district, speak for what I think is right and have my vote.” The 8th District covers much of eastern Jackson County, including, including the suburban cities of Blue Springs and Lee’s Summit, and stretches into Lone Jack, a city with more of a rural feel. Alongside a Springfield-area race, the district is one of two Senate seats Democrats are targeting for a potential pickup. Winning both would cost Republicans their two-thirds supermajority in the chamber. The race is also the most expensive among the 17 state Senate seats up for grabs, with television ad buys supporting the two candidates exceeding $1.6 million by the end of September. Coming out of the Aug. 4 primary, Patterson had over $2.9 million on hand between his campaign and his candidate committee, according to Missouri Ethics Commission filings. Ingle had just over $500,000. Despite the fundraising disparity, Ingle – who flipped her House seat when she was elected in 2018 – believes she has a strong chance. “We’ve got the ground game,” she told The Independent. “We are talking to voters
