Right to Life Voter Guide 2024: Missouri Judicial Recommendations

Your Vote Matters: Judicial Elections in Missouri

In Missouri’s upcoming elections, your vote extends beyond legislative and executive roles. It encompasses the crucial selection and retention of judges who interpret and apply the law. This guide focuses on judicial candidates in the 2024 Missouri elections, providing recommendations for voters prioritizing the right to life. Understanding the judicial landscape and the candidates’ backgrounds is vital for making informed decisions that reflect your values. This guide serves as your resource to navigate these important judicial races.

Missouri Supreme Court

The Missouri Supreme Court plays a pivotal role in the state’s legal system. This year, two justices face retention votes statewide. It is recommended to retain both of these justices:

• Justice Kelly C. Broniec: Appointed by Governor Parson. Justice Broniec demonstrated judicial integrity by ruling against Amendment 3’s placement on the ballot due to signature collection irregularities.
• Justice Ginger K. Gooch: Appointed by Governor Parson. Like Justice Broniec, Justice Gooch also upheld the rule of law by opposing Amendment 3’s ballot inclusion based on legal violations during the signature gathering process.

These justices have shown a commitment to upholding legal standards, a crucial aspect of judicial service.

Missouri Court of Appeals

The Missouri Court of Appeals is divided into districts, and the justices appearing on your ballot will depend on your district of residence. Here are the recommendations for each district:

Eastern District

• Robert M. Clayton: Appointed by Governor Nixon. Exercise Caution. Clayton’s past as a pro-abortion legislator raises concerns for right to life voters.
• Gary M. Gaertner, Jr.: Appointed by Governor Carnahan. No Recommendation.
• Renee Hardin-Tammons: Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Cristian M Stevens: Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Michael S. Wright: Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.

Southern District

• Becky Borthwick: Appointed to Associate Circuit Court by Governor Nixon, and to Circuit and Appeals Court by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Jennifer R. Growcock: Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.

Western District

• Cynthia Lynette Martin: Appointed by Governor Nixon. No Recommendation.
• Janet l. Sutton: Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Gary D. Witt: Appointed by Governor Nixon. Exercise Caution. Witt’s past as a pro-abortion legislator warrants caution for right to life voters.

Circuit Judges

Circuit Judges handle a wide range of cases at the local level. Careful consideration of these candidates is essential.

• Circuit 2: Matt Wilson, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 3: Matt Krohn, Candidate. Vote Krohn.
• Circuit 4: Corey Herron, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 5 Division 1: Kate Schaefer, Elected. Retain.
• Circuit 5 Division 3: Terry White, Candidate. Vote White.
• Circuit 5 Division 4: Daniel Kellogg, Elected, previously appointed Assoc. Circuit by Governor Carnahan. No Recommendation.
• Circuit 6 Division 6: Megan Blair Benton, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 7 Division 2: Tim Flook, Circuit Appointed by Governor Parson, Assoc. Circuit, Flook past pro-life Legislator. Retain.
• Circuit 7 Division 3: Alisha D O’Hara, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 8: Kevin Walden, Appointed by Governor Greitens. Retain.
• Circuit 9: Terry Tschannen, Elected. Retain.
• Circuit 10: John Jackson, Candidate. Vote Jackson.
• Circuit 11 Division 3: Erin Burlison, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 11 Division 4: Matthew Thornhill, Candidate. Vote Thornhill.
• Circuit 11 Division 5: Chris McDonough, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 11 Division 7: Dwayne Johnson, Candidate. Vote Johnson.
• Circuit 12: Richard Scheibe, Appointed by Governor Nixon. No Recommendation.
• Circuit 13 Division 1: Brouck Jacobs, Elected, previously appointed Assoc. Circuit by Governor Greitens. Retain.
• Circuit 13 Division 3: Jesus Osete, Candidate. Vote Osete.
• Circuit 13 Division 3: Stephanie Morrell, Elected. Retain. (Note: There seems to be a duplication in the original list, keeping both as listed).
• Circuit 14: Scott Hayes, Elected. Retain.
• Circuit 15: Josh Taylor, Candidate. Vote Taylor.
• Circuit 16 Division 5: James F. Kanatzar, Appointed by Governor Nixon. No Recommendation.
• Circuit 16 Division 10: Marty W. Seaton, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 16 Division 13: Charles H. McKenzie, Appointed by Governor Nixon. No Recommendation.
• Circuit 16 Division 15: Jalilah Otto, Appointed by Governor Greitens. Retain.
• Circuit 16 Division 16: Jessica Agnelly Krawczyk, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 16 Division 19: Mark A. Styles, Jr., Appointed by Governor Nixon. No Recommendation.
• Circuit 17 Division 1: Stacey Lett, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 18: Jeff Mittelhauser, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 19 Division 1: Brian Stumpe, Candidate, Currently Conservative Municipal Judge. Vote Stumpe.
• Circuit 20 Division 1: Crain Hellmann, appointed by Governor Greitens. Retain.
• Circuit 21 Division 1: Brian May, Appointed by Governor Nixon, May a past pro-abortion legislator. Exercise Caution.
• Circuit 21 Division 3: Heather R. Cunningham, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 21 Division 4: Jeffrey P. Medler, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 21 Division 5: Nicole S. Zellweger, Appointed by Governor Greitens. Retain.
• Circuit 21 Division 9: David Lee Vincent, Appointed by Governor Carnahan. No Recommendation.
• Circuit 21 Division 12: Stanley J. Wallach, Appointed by Governor Nixon. No Recommendation.
• Circuit 21 Division 13: Bruce F. Hilton, Appointed by Governor Nixon. No Recommendation.
• Circuit 21 Division 15: John (JB) Lasater, Appointed Assoc. Circuit by Governor Nixon, App Circuit by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 21 Division 16: Virginia W. Lay, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 21 Division 18: Ellen H. Ribaudo, Appointed by Governor Nixon. No Recommendation.
• Circuit 21 Division 22: Megan H. Julian, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 22 Division 13: Theresa Counts Burke, Appointed Assoc Circuit by Governor Blunt, Circuit by Governor Nixon. No Recommendation.
• Circuit 22 Division 14: Lynne R Perkins, Appointed Assoc Circuit by Governor Nixon, Circuit by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 22 Division 15: Craig K. Higgins, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 22 Division 18: Jason M. Sengheiser, Appointed by Governor Nixon. No Recommendation.
• Circuit 22 Division 20: Joan L. Moriarty, Appointed by Governor Carnahan. No Recommendation.
• Circuit 22 Division 22: Michael W. Noble, Appointed by Governor Nixon. No Recommendation.
• Circuit 22 Division 23: Paula Perkins Bryant, Appointed Assoc Cir by Governor Holden and to Circuit by Governor Nixon. No Recommendation.
• Circuit 22 Division 31: Thomas Adrian McCarthy, Appt Assoc Cir by Governor Greitens and to Circuit by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 23 Division 1: Joseph Rathert, Elected. Retain.
• Circuit 23 Division 4: Brenda Stacey, Elected. Retain.
• Circuit 23 Division 5: Vic Melenbrink, Elected. Retain.
• Circuit 23 Division 6: Shannon Dougherty, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 24 Division 1: Brice Sechrest, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 24 Division 2: Wendy Lynn Wexler Horn, Elected. Retain.
• Circuit 25 Division 1: William (Bill) Hickle, Elected. Retain.
• Circuit 26 Division 1: Andrew Hardwick, Candidate. Vote Hardwick.
• Circuit 27: M. Brandon Baker, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 28: David Munton, Elected. Retain.
• Circuit 29 Division 1: Joe Hensley, Candidate. Vote Hensley.
• Circuit 29 Division 3: David Mouton, Elected. Retain.
• Circuit 30: David Replogle, Candidate. Vote Replogle.
• Circuit 32 Division 2: Frank Miller, Elected. Retain.
• Circuit 31 Division 1: Derek A. Ankrom, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 31 Division 2: Kaiti Greenwade, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 31 Division 3: Dan Wichmer, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 31 Division 4: T. Todd Myers, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 31 Division 5: Jerry A. Harmison, Jr., Appt Assoc Circuit by Governor Greitens, Appt Circuit by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 31 Division 6: Joshua B Christensen, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 33: Zac Horack, Elected. Retain.
• Circuit 34: Joshua Underwood, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 35: Robert Mayer, Elected, Past Pro-life Legislator. Retain.
• Circuit 37: Steven Privette, Elected, Appointed Presiding Judge by Governor Greitens. Retain.
• Circuit 38 Division 1: Laura Johnson, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 39 Division 1: David Cole, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 39 Division 2: Alan Blankenship, Elected. Retain.
• Circuit 40 Division 1: Charles Genisio, Candidate. Vote Genisio.
• Circuit 40 Division 2: Kevin Shelby, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 42 Division 1: Megan Seay, Elected. Retain.
• Circuit 43 Division 1: Ryan Horsman, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 43 Division 2: Daren Adkins, Candidate. Vote Adkins.
• Circuit 44: Craig Carter, Appointed by Governor Blunt to Associate Circuit, Elected to Circuit. Retain.
• Circuit 45: Jim Beck, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 46: Jeff Merrell, Elected. Retain.

Associate Circuit Judges

Associate Circuit Judges also play a critical role in the Missouri judicial system.

• Circuit 6 Division 3: Abe (Quint) Shafer, Appointed by Governor Nixon. No Recommendation.
• Circuit 6 Division 5: Amy R. Ashelford, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 7 Division 5: Calan T, McConkey, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 7 Division 7: Louis Angles, Appointed by Governor Nixon but Pro-life. Retain.
• Circuit 7 Division 9: Daniel White, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 16 Division 28: Jeff Keal, Appointed by Governor Nixon. No Recommendation.
• Circuit 16 Division 29: Janette Kay Rodecap, Elected. Retain.
• Circuit 16 Division 30: Lauren Barrett, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 16 Division 32: Kyndra James Stockdale, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 21 Division 31: Jason A Denney, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 21 Division 37: Daniel J. Kertz, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 21 Division 38: Natalie P. Warner, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 21 Division 40: John F. Newsham, Appointed by Governor Greitens. Retain.
• Circuit 21 Division 41: Krista S Peyton, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 21 Division 42: Robert Heggie, Appointed by Governor Nixon. No Recommendation.
• Circuit 22 Division 16: Nicole Colbert-Botchway, Appointed by Governor Nixon. No Recommendation.
• Circuit 22 Division 26: Catherine A. Dierker, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 22 Division 27: Michael J. Colona, Appointed by Governor Parson but a former pro-abortion legislator. Exercise Caution.
• Circuit 22 Division 28: Rochelle Monea Woodiest, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 31 Division 23: Andy Hosmer, Appointed by Governor Nixon. No Recommendation.
• Circuit 31 Division 24: Kirsten Poppen, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 31 Division 25: Josephine (Jody) L. Stockard, Appointed by Governor Parson. Retain.
• Circuit 31 Division 26: Ron Carrier, Appointed by Governor Nixon. No Recommendation.

Conclusion

This Right To Life Voter Guide 2024 offers recommendations to assist Missouri voters in making informed choices in judicial elections. Your vote is a powerful tool to shape the judiciary and uphold the values you believe in. Remember to consult your ballot and vote accordingly to support candidates who align with the right to life.