← Election Series · All house races
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and voting is underway in Missouri. This is the whole race — the records, the claims, and what the sources actually show. Read the research, and decide which flaw you can live with.
The setup Missouri's most rural district — southeastern Missouri including the Bootheel, Cape Girardeau and Poplar Bluff. Cook PVI is R+27 and Cook rates it Solid R — the reddest lean in this set. Missouri map rule: primaries ran under the 2025 map; the general election runs under the 2022 map (Missouri Supreme Court, Sept. 3, 2026; U.S. Supreme Court stay, Sept. 25, 2026). Incumbent Jason Smith (R), in office since June 5, 2013 and re-elected with 76.2% in 2024, is running. On the ballot, at compilation strength: Jason Smith (R), Christopher Reichard (D) and Rebecca Sharpe Lombard (L). Spelling conflict printed as a conflict: the Democrat's surname appears as "Reichard" in SOS-sourced listings and Wikipedia's candidate list, and as "Riechard" in one Wikipedia infobox — printed here as Reichard per the SOS-sourced sources, subject to the certified-list pull, which is still owed.
Jason Smith (R) The record: Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee in the 118th–119th Congresses — the House's chief tax-writing committee; on Ways and Means since 2015; previously Budget Committee ranking member. Former Missouri House majority whip and speaker pro tempore before Congress. Central figure in the 2025 tax / reconciliation legislation as Ways and Means chair. Renominated with 86.0%. Raised $5.26M through July 15, 2026 (FEC) — by far the largest war chest in the Missouri delegation. Pros: The tax-writing chairmanship is direct leverage for free-market tax policy; long state and federal service. Cons: The file locates no proven in-service flaw heavy enough to contest the endorsement. The flaw, plainly: None demonstrated in this file.
Christopher Reichard (D) The record: Construction worker (Wikipedia). Won the Democratic primary with 54.1% over former state Sen. Frank Barnitz (45.9%). Raised only $5,674 through July 15, 2026 (FEC). Pros: Working background in construction; beat a former state senator in the primary. Cons: No elected service is located in the file, and no proven break with his party on our values is documented. The flaw, plainly: A Democratic organizing vote with no Manchin-test exception in the file, in an R+27 district.
OUR CALL LiberalMind endorses Jason Smith.
An in-tent Republican incumbent chairing Ways and Means, with no proven flaw in the file. Rebecca Sharpe Lombard (L), Ward 6 treasurer for the Libertarian Party of Missouri, is noted in the roster; the file gives her no fuller record.
This race is one of hundreds in LiberalMind's Election 2026 coverage. For the complete breakdown — every race, claim by claim — go to liberalmindhq.com.
Vote early. Research your candidates. Choose the best moderates, whatever their party — no extremism from either side. And encourage your friends and family to do the same.
--- Sources - Wikipedia, "2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Missouri" (compilation) — roster, primaries, Smith and Reichard records; "Riechard" infobox variant noted - BallotReady Missouri roster (sourced to the Secretary of State) — "Chris Reichard" spelling, roster match - Cook Political Report race table — PVI R+27, Solid R rating - Ballotpedia News (Sept. 28, 2026) — map ruling history
Winner: Jason Smith (Republican) — called by the Associated Press. This result was appended on November 4, 2026 (results wave 2); the original article above is unchanged, exactly as published before Election Day.
AI-assisted article — but the sources are human, and the facts are very real.