After starting his career in the Missouri Legislature and spending 14 years in the halls of the Capitol, Sen. Lincoln Hough is stepping away.
Hough, who represented Springfield's state Senate District 30 for the full term limit of eight years, has marked his time in the legislature by sponsoring legislation that enacted the largest tax cut in state history, led the appropriations committee to invest in critical infrastructure and advocated for mental health resources for first responders.
Three candidates now are vying to fill his seat in one of the most hotly contested races in the state. Here's what to know about each of them.
Who is Betsy Fogle?
Rep. Betsy Fogle is the Democratic Party candidate for the District 30 seat. She is a Springfield native who attended
both Springfield Public Schools and Missouri State University, and obtained a master's degree from the University of Arkansas. Prior to serving in the legislature, Fogle worked at Jordan Valley Community Health Center.
In 2020, Fogle was elected to represent District 135 in the Missouri House of Representatives. This past year, she served on numerous committees including Fiscal Review, Joint Committee on Public Assistance, Conference Committee on Budget, and was a ranking minority member on both the Budget Committee and the Subcommittee on Appropriations-Health, Mental Health and Social Services. Fogle has sponsored 24 bills since 2020, on topics ranging from coverage for in vitro fertilization to additional options for photo identification needed to vote to community solar gardens.
Fogle said the reasons for her state Senate run are similar to the why she first decided to run for a seat in the House of Representatives.
"I want to do my part to make sure that we have elected officials in Jefferson City that are fighting for the things that our neighbors back here at home need. Strong public schools for all kids, access to quality and affordable health care, a cost of living that allows families to remain here in Springfield, economic opportunity that attracts young students that are graduating from Missouri State and making this city a place we can all be proud to call home regardless of your political beliefs."
She also believes that getting a non-Republican into the Senate will break up the consolidation of power.
"If you flip two seats in the Missouri State Senate, we break the supermajority, and I'm 50% of that down here," Fogle said. "Breaking the supermajority in the state Senate just provides the ability for the minority party's voice to have a little bit more leverage, and I think that's good for everybody."
If elected, Fogle looks forward to being able to "play offense and not just play defense." With a smaller group, her bills are guaranteed to be heard in committee, which means she can be proactive about things she prioritizes — the things important to her constituents. That includes ensuring funding for public schools, fighting for tax cuts for working families, and following in Hough's footsteps on the state's budget.
"I want to make sure I'm at the table bringing home investments to the area that I serve. I think, you know, Sen. Lincoln Hough, a Republican notably — he and I would disagree on a ton — but a lot of what I learned about what I want to be in a senator I will model from him, which is (to be) someone who champions our hometown and also stands up for what I think is right in the face of either my party or the Senate telling me I'm wrong. And I would hope to carry on that legacy in the state Senate."
Who is Cecil Ince?
Cecil Ince is the Libertarian Party candidate for the District 30 seat. Ince lives in Springfield with his wife, son and five stepchildren.
Ince has run for multiple public offices as a Libertarian, including for Missouri Secretary of State in 2004, Greene County Commissioner in 2016 and in the Libertarian presidential primary in Missouri in 2016.
His state Senate run was prompted by voters getting "sick of voting Republican and Democrat and getting the same or worse results." Ince wants to provide a different option, Libertarianism, which he says has "surpassed the third-party stigma."
"(Libertarians) have the ability to cross the aisles to bring about common-sense legislation that works and to restore power back to the people," Ince said. "People have realized that, you know, asking the government to fix this and do that hasn't fixed anything. And it's time for the government to start giving the power back to the people to handle these issues that they were previously asking help for."
If elected, Ince would prioritize tax reform. He believes that income tax and property tax should be repealed immediately and replaced with a flat state sales tax.
"No matter if you buy a house or a car or a pencil or anything in the state of Missouri or order something online from a Missouri business, that goes into the general revenue, gets collected by the Department of Revenue and then dispersed to the entities," Ince said. "That would generate a healthy budget for the state."
Ince also wants to propose legislation that would restructure law enforcement oversight, according to his website, as well as clearly define disciplinary and conduct standards, clarify law enforcement officers' immunity, establish a statewide complaint portal for citizens and create a state division and state department of investigations for independent review.
Another priority for Ince is children's rights, particularly as it pertains to children in Missouri's foster care system. Ince believes that there should be a division within the sheriff's office devoted to child protection, that there should be a Children's Bill of Rights, and that kinship placement should take priority in foster care placements.
"I think a Children's Bill of Rights needs to be drafted and brought before the Senate because ... children that are taken into custody in Greene County need to stay in Greene County, in the county in which they reside, instead of being taken to St. Louis or Jefferson City and outside the county," Ince said. "Those children have the right to have a meaningful relationship with those who loved them."
Who is Melanie Stinnett?
Rep. Melanie Stinnett is the Republican Party candidate for the District 30 seat. Stinnett lives in Springfield with her husband and two sons. She has worked in area hospital systems and also led her own pediatric therapy clinic, TheraCare, after seeing the need in the area. She is an MSU alumna with a bachelor's degree and two master's degrees.
Stinnett has represented House District 133 since her election in 2022. During her time in office, she has worked to not only extend post-partum Medicaid coverage and to bring more funding for state-wide doula training and services, but also to increase access to childcare facilities for children with medical complexities. In the 2026 session, Stinnett was the chairman of the Health and Mental Health Committee, as well as a member of the Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee, Joint Committee on the Life Science, Rules-Administrative Committee and the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Task Force.
Stinnett believes that she will be able to make bigger changes at the Senate level. Prior to representing District 133, Stinnett spent about seven years advocating to the legislature on health care.
"I think the Senate is a unique place to move legislation through because each senator individually has a lot of ability to move things in a different way than a single House member does. With 163 in the House, it's a different type of challenge versus 34 in the Senate and then with the different rules for the different chambers, it just looks different," Stinnett said. "But having worked both across the aisle and across chambers on really important legislation, I think that I'm well positioned to do that in a great way."
Stinnett said she will continue her work on disability access and disability care if elected to the Senate, but that she will also expand her focus, as well. One thing she's hoping to prioritize is housing challenges on both a state and local level.
"We've had a lot of conversations in Springfield around housing and the challenges for housing. I'm really interested to dive more into that from the state level and see how we can help," Stinnett said. "One of the things that I have heard, and this is not just a state level issue, but this is a local level issue as well, is that regulations around the things that go into building a home are a lot of the challenges or present some of the challenges with being able to get affordable, accessible housing in our communities."
Stinnett also wants to work on ensuring that schools at all levels have the funding they need, from early childhood education to higher education. She believes that funding to those institutions will cultivate a more robust workforce in Springfield, because people won't have to leave the area to pursue education.
"We have seen, in our state, challenges with the funding for our community college and our higher ed institution here, Missouri State University and then Ozarks Tech Community College. They are underfunded compared to other places in the state," Stinnett said. "I want to be an advocate to make sure that we see those dollars here in the Springfield community because that is going to help us in Springfield but also our region as a whole."
Where do candidates stand on data centers, Flock cameras?
Each candidate has differing views on data centers, but all are concerned about the potential privacy violations that may stem from automated license plate readers like Flock cameras.
Fogle believes that with data centers, "those decisions are best made as close to the people as possible" and that the state should not pre-empt regulations municipalities or counties want to put in place regarding data centers. In the House, she voted against Senate Bill 4, which provided financial incentives to data centers.
Ince doesn't oppose data centers and is a proponent for boosting the economy through the jobs they could bring in, but he believes there needs to be a lot of consideration given to infrastructure. He suggested requirements such as enclosed water cooling systems or new technologies and thinks data centers should have their own power generators and that utility companies need to have policies about the strain it may put on a power grid.
"It's not about so much the politics of it as it is the infrastructure of it," Ince said. "And I think that we need to really sit down and have conversations with the utility providers or contractors and say, 'How are we going to make this work for everybody?'"
Stinnett is currently opposed to data center development in the Springfield community, as she has heard from many constituents that they do not want data centers in their neighborhoods. She supports local control in these situations, though she acknowledges that something done in one community can have a ripple effect on surrounding areas and even the state.
"What we see with the potential with data centers because impacting utility rates can impact an entire area, impacting water supply can impact the entire state potentially," Stinnett said. "And what we know about Missourians in general is they love conservation. They want to protect our water. They want to protect our natural resources. And I think those are important conversations for us to have at the state level."
Fogle believes that the public should be able to have their questions answered regarding Flock cameras and other ALPRs, and once they obtain that information, communities should decide whether or not they want that technology.
"Citizens have the right to demand transparency about how they're being surveilled. We have had too many public examples of times that Flock cameras have been used in unethical and immoral and illegal ways to surveil the electorate," Fogle said.
As someone in the health care field, Stinnett sees similarities between APLRs and the implementation of electronic health records, specifically in the fact that people's personal data is being stored in a way that could make it more vulnerable. In the same way that private patient information is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Stinnett would like there to be stricter parameters around protecting that ALPR data.
Ince believes that government agencies that enter contracts with ALPR companies are abusing the Third-Party Doctrine. Third-Party Doctrine is a principle of the Fourth Amendment, which says that the amendment does not prohibit the government from obtaining information that is voluntarily given to a third party, according to the Cornell Legal Information Institute.
"I think that it also violates civil liberties, our privacy laws, our Fourth Amendment (rights). I believe that if Walmart wants to put up cameras in their parking lot, that's (their) business," Ince said. "But I think that we need accountability and transparency in law enforcement and in government."
How much has Fogle raised?
According to the most recent report filed Oct. 15 with the Missouri Ethics Commission, Fogle has raised nearly $738,000 this election cycle.
Her top contributors since the start of the cycle are:
- $24,000 - David Smid of Springfield;
- $4,800 - BAD ADC of Eastern Missouri ($4,900), Sprinkler Fitters Political Local 268, Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council, United Steel Workers Local 11-6 Gasworkers Voluntary PAC, The Madison PAC, UFCW Local 655, Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562, Access MO, Springfield Building and Construction Trades Pac, Teamsters Local Union No. 541, Missouri Gaming PAC, Greene County Democratic Central Committee, True North PAC, DougPAC, Missouri NEA PAC, Better Schools for Missouri, IBEW Local 124, PROMO PAC, Will of the People PAC, Teamsters Local Union No. 41, Ellen Schapiro of St. Louis, Mike Hamra of Springfield, Katie Feurbacher of St. Louis, Eileen Hamra of Springfield, Jorden Rutledge of San Francisco ($4,400), I.U.O.E. Local 513 Political & Educational Fund ($4,400), and Randy Alberhasky of Springfield ($4,377);
- $4,000 - Cheyenne International, MO State Council of Firefighters PAC, Teamsters Local 6 ($3,900), Christopher Clark of St. Louis ($3,900), Kurt Larson of Springfield ($3,900), Ryan Murphy of Springfield ($3,400), Adam Horton of Springfield ($3,400), Nina Needleman of Ballwin ($3,400), Jeff Wasson of Springfield ($3,000), Dana Sandweiss of St. Louis ($3,000), and HBS MO State PAC ($3,000);
- $2,500 - Pettit Law Office, Jill Schupp of Creve Coeur, Rose-Lynn Sokol of St. Louis, and Spirit of Missouri;
- $2,400 - Robert Palmer of Springfield, Charlie O'Reilly of Springfield, Mary Beth O'Reilly of Springfield, Mary Neal of St. Louis, The Grote Group, Larry O'Reilly of Springfield, Tanner Greer of Springfield, Douglas Hamilton of Springfield, David Roberts of St. Louis, Mark Nelson of Springfield, O'Brien Law Firm P.C., Angela Anderson of Springfield, Davis Bethune & Jones LLC, Steven Groves of St. Louis, Chuck Hatfield of Jefferson City, David Morse of St. Louis, Mary Anne Sedey of St. Louis, Charles O'Reilly of Nixa, Laura T. Cohen of St. Louis, Advance, Margaret Donnelly of St. Louis, Doug Pitt of Springfield, Gerald Axelbaum of St. Louis, Lincoln Hough of Fair Grove; Missouri AFL CIO, Iron Workers Local 396, A Better Missouri PAC, Alliance for Progress, Sheet Metal Workers Local 36, ABC General Fund Missouri, Heat & Frost Insulators Local 1, Safer Families For Missouri, Iron Workers Local 10, MSCEW PAC Federal Committee, Operating Engineers Local 101, Missouri Realtors PAC, Teamsters Local 6 PAC, Teamsters Local 955 PAC Fund, Volunteer Political Fund, Missouri & Kansas Laborers PAC, MO Insurance Coalition PAC, Missouri State Teachers Association Legislative Impact, Northland Forward PAC, Homefront PAC, Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation, Teamsters Local 838 Political Action Fund, BLET MOSLB PAC Fund, Missouri Health Plan Association PAC, Ready to Lead, CN-MO PAC, Missouri Senior PAC, Electrical Workers Voluntary Political MO, Missouri AFL-CIO COPE, Good Hands PAC, Missouri Ag PAC, Teamsters 245 PAC; Dollar, Burns, Becker & Hershewe LC; James O'Neal of Springfield ($2,250), Missouri Pork PAC ($2,250), Shayn Prapaisilip of St. Louis ($2,250), Teamsters Local 682 ($2,200), and David Harper of Springfield ($2,100);
- $2,000 - CWA – Cope Missouri Checking, St. Louis Building & Construction Trades, CWA COPE, MWLC PAC, PAC to the Future Inc, MBA Ozark Region PAC, HALO PAC, Professional Fire Fighters of Eastern Missouri Local 2665, I.O.U.E. Local 513 Political & Educational Fund, Stephen & Miriam Singer of St. Louis, Langdon and Emison LLC, M'Evie Mead of St. Louis, Stephen Singer of St. Louis, Ryan Baker of Springfield, Ryan Hamilton of Springfield, Chelsea Dickerson of Kansas City, Gerald Fitzgerald of St. Louis, Michael Campbell of Columbia, Rod Loomer of Springfield, Elisa Coonrod of Boid d'Arc ($1,923), Art Kessler of Battlefield ($1,900), SEIU HealthCare Missouri PAC ($1,800), SEIU State Council PAC ($1,800), SEIU MO/KS State Council PAC ($1,800), and MO Senate Democratic Caucus ($1,623.19);
- $1,500 - POL PAC, Plumbers Local Union No. 8 PAC, Shamrock PAC, AMECPAC, Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council, Protect Missouri Workers PAC, MEDA PAC, Pfizer Missouri Political Action Committee – Federal Committee, HOME PAC, St. Louis Teachers Local 420, Carl Kimbrell of North Kansas City, Tolbert Beadle LLC Operating Account, Clif & Mary Gail Smart of Springfield, James Hansen of Springfield, Patricia Moore of Springfield, Brenda & Charles Hatfield of Jefferson City, and Kim Chaffin of Springfield.
Notable Springfield donors include City of Springfield Councilman Craig Hosmer, who donated $1,000 plus $789.73 in-kind; Fogle's father Brian Fogle, who donated $850; Economic Development Director for the City of Springfield Sarah Kerner, who donated $800; Janet Dankert, president/CEO of Community Partnership of the Ozarks, who donated $500; and former voice of the MSU Bears Art Hains, who donated $300.
The campaign also received contributions from Glaziers Architectural Metal & Glassworkers Local 513 ($1,250), MPCA PAC ($1,200), BLET MOSP PAC ($1,000), SMART Transportation Division PAC ($1,000), Dade Co. Democratic Club ($1,000), Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO ($1,000), United Steel Workers Local 11-6 ($1000), Site Improvement Association of MO PAC ($1,000), Olsson Inc PAC MO ($1,000), Christian County Democrat Central Committee ($1,000), Hy-Vee Employees PAC Federal Committee ($1,000), IBEW Local 1 ($1,000), Teamsters Local 688 ($1,000), Build St. Louis PAC ($1,000), PT-PAC ($1,000), United Transportation Political Action Committee ($1,000), MO Optometric PAC ($1,000), Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers ($1,000), CN-MO PAC ($1,000), IBEW Local 53 ($1,000), Lawrence County Democratic Central Committee ($1,000), Net PAC Missouri ($1,000), Labor Caucus PAC ($1,000), International Union of Elevator Constructors Local No. 3 PAC ($1,000), South St. Louis County Labor Political Organization ($1,000), Local 148 International Union of Operating Engineers MO PAC ($1,000), Fair Play Missouri PAC ($1,000), Iron Workers Local Union No. 10 PAC ($1,000), Franklin Roosevelt Club ($850), MO Broadband Providers PAC ($750), Missouri First ($750), Missouri Womens Political Caucus PAC ($600), Teamsters Local 610 ($500), Teamsters Local 618 ($500), Teamsters Local 600 ($500), Plumbing Industry Council ($500), Missouri Energy Future PAC ($500), Missouri Patriot PAC ($500), Centene Corporation PAC ($500), MO Criminal Defense Lawyers PAC ($500), Builders Association Political Action Committee ($500), Friends of Missouri State University PAC ($500), Merck & Company Employees Missouri PAC ($500), Plasterers and Cement Masons Local Union No. 518 PAC ($500), Lafayette County Democratic Central Committee ($500), AFT Local 691 ($500), MO 7th District Congressional Democratic Committee ($500), Tri-County Labor Legislative Club ($500), Residential Care Facility PAC ($350), Teamsters Local 823 Political ($300), MO Broadband Providers PAC ($250), American Federation of Teachers Local 420 ($250), St. Louis City Labor Legislative Club ($250), and MOCannTrade PAC ($250).
How much has Ince raised?
Ince has filed limited activity reports with the MEC since the start of 2026. Each report certifies that the committee, which is run by Ince, has not received more than $500 in contributions, nor has it spent more than $500.
How much has Stinnett raised?
So far, Stinnett has raised more than $681,000 this election cycle, according to the most recent report filed with the MEC.
Her top contributors since the start of the election cycle are:
- $4,800 - BB Freedom Fund, Bootheel Values PAC, Conservative Leadership for Southwest Missouri, Danette Proctor of Willard, Elaine Cook of Springfield, Loren Cook of Springfield, Great Northwest PAC, HealthPAC, Maryam Mohammadhkani of Springfield, MCR PAC, Missouri Realtors PAC, MO Society of Anesthesiologists PAC, MOCS Action, Old McDonald PAC, Paladin PAC, Physician Led Anesthesia Care PAC, Rex Sinquefield of Westphalia, Sara Hargis of Springfield, MOFSA PAC Inc. ($4,400), and Cheyenne International ($4,400);
- $4,000 - BNSF Railway Company RAILPAC Missouri, Douglas Healy of Springfield ($3,900), and The Wonderdog PAC ($3,900);
- $3,500 - Doug Pitt of Springfield ($3,441), Curtis Jared of Springfield ($3,400), Kory Scullawl of Republic ($3,400), and Missouri Medical PAC ($3,400);
- $3,000 - Spire PAC ($3,150), MBA Ozark Region PAC, Missouri Leadership PAC ($2,800), and Ashley Berry of Hermitage ($2,608);
- $2,400 - 1776 PAC, A Better Missouri PAC, Aileen Dressler of Springfield, AMECPAC, Another Viceroy PAC, Asclepius PAC, ATGS PAC, BayerPAC, Beau Brauer of Bridgeton, Brad PAC, Build St. Louis PAC Inc, Chris Stange of Nixa, CN-MO PAC, Conservative Solutions for MO, Craig Thompson of Clinton, Credit Union PAC, Darrell Proctor of Willard, Elizabeth Berryman Aull of Springfield, FCA PAC, GPG PAC, Greene County Republican Central Committee Target Account, HBS MO State PAC, Independent Physicians PAC of Mid MO, James Hargis of Springfield, JB PAC, Jeffrey Caison of Springfield, Jennifer Monheiser of Lees Summit, Jim Walton of Bentonville, Arkansas, Jody Vance of Strafford, John Stack of Springfield, Larry Lipscomb of Springfield, Legio XIII Pac, Living Well PAC, Missouri Insurance Coalition, Missouri Law Enforcement for Good Government PAC, Missouri Leadership Fund, Missouri State Orthopaedic Assn PAC, Missourians Against Unfair Taxes, Missourians for a Responsible Budget PAC, MO DSV PAC, MO Osteopathic PAC, MOCANNTRADE PAC, NEMO Leadership PAC, Nick Burlison of Springfield, Patients First PAC, Phil Melugin of Springfield, Pulse PAC, Raffaele Pannella of Springfield, Rita Baron of Springfield, RQC PAC, Rural Rots PAC, Sandy PAC, Spirit of Missouri, Stand Up to Stigma PAC, Steve Ehrhardt of Springfield, The Leadbelt PAC, Thomas Strong of Springfield, Todd Hill of Springfield, Todd Wilson of Springfield, Will Cox of Springfield, Tracy DeFatta of League City, Texas ($2,342), and Missouri Pork PAC ($2,250);
- $2,000 - Ronald Neville of Springfield ($2,082), Bayer US LLC Missouri PAC, Christopher Owen of Mountain Grove, the Greater Ozarks Optometric Society, Heal PAC/Missouri, Louis DelCampo of Springfield; MEDA PAC, Ryan Macdonald of Springfield, Surgery by Surgeons, and The Rowdy PAC;
- $1,500 - Ashley Meyer of Springfield ($1,561), AMEPAC, Friends of Missouri State University, Jenni Cox of Springfield, Missouri Dental Political Action Committee, Missouri Vertinary Medical PAC, MO Academy of Family Physicians, POL PAC, PT PAC of Missouri, and AGC of MO PAC ($1,400).
Notable Springfield donors include Rosalie O'Reilly Wooten, who donated $700; Executive Vice Chairman of the O'Reilly Auto Parts board David O'Reilly, who donated $500; co-founder and co-owner of Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation Peter Herschend, who donated $500; Greene County Collector of Revenue Allen Icet, who donated $500; Greene County Commissioners Bob Dixon and John Russell, who donated $300 and $250, respectively; President of Mercy Springfield Communities John Myers, who donated $250; City Utilities President Dwayne Fulk, who donated $100, Ozarks Technical Community College President Hal Higdon, who donated $100; and Arc of the Ozarks CEO Michael Powers, who donated $100.
The campaign also received contributions from MO Petroleum and Convenience PAC ($1,200), ABC PAC ($1,000), AGC of MO PAC ($1,000), ASA Midwest PAC ($1,000), ATGS ($1,000), BUILD St. Louis PAC ($1,000), Enterprise Mobility Political Action Committee ($1,000), Hahn DeBoef PAC ($1,000), Home PAC ($1,000), Hy-Vee Employees PAC Federal Committee ($1,000), Lead MO Right PAC ($1,000), LeadingAge Missouri ($1,000), MAPAC ($1,000), MBWA PAC ($1,000), Missouri Beverage PAC ($1,000), Missouri Chamber PAC ($1,000), Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers ($1,000), Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers PAC ($1,000), Missouri Restaurant Association Inc PAC ($1,000), Missouri Rural Investment PAC ($1,000), MO Health Plan Associate PAC ($1,000), NFIB Missouri PAC ($1,000), Olsson Inc PAC MO ($1,000), PG PAC ($1,000), Real Action PAC ($1,000), SCOPE PAC ($1,000), WPG PAC ($1,000), Merck & Co Inc Employees PAC ($965), MO Broadband Providers PAC ($750), ACEC Missouri PAC ($500), BAPAC ($500), Centene Corporation PAC ($500), Emergency Medicine PAC ($500), Missouri Assisted Living PAC ($500), MO Association of Nurse Anesthetists ($500), MO Cable PAC ($500), MO Concrete Association ($500), MO Patriot PAC ($500), MORESPAC ($500), and the Missouri Psychological Association PAC ($300).
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: 3 candidates vie for Springfield Sen. Lincoln Hough's District 30 seat
