Grant Heithold

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Grant Heithold

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 6, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of Missouri, Rolla, 1985

Personal

Religion

Christian

Profession

Farmer, businessman

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal Facebook

Grant Heithold (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Missouri's 8th Congressional District. He lost in the Republican primary on August 6, 2024.

Heithold completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Grant Heithold earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri, Rolla in 1985. His career experience includes working as a farmer and businessman. He has served as a member of the chaplains group for a local hospital, the United Methodist Church Licking, and the Texas County Mo. Republican Party.

Elections

2024

See also: Missouri's 8th Congressional District election, 2024

Missouri's 8th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Democratic primary)

Missouri's 8th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Missouri District 8

Incumbent Jason Smith defeated Randi McCallian and Jake Dawson in the general election for U.S. House Missouri District 8 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jason Smith (R)	76.2	271,249
		Randi McCallian (D)	21.8	77,649
	Submit photo	Jake Dawson (L)	2.0	7,166

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 356,064
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8

Randi McCallian defeated Franklin Delano Roth II in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Randi McCallian	70.4	12,571
		Franklin Delano Roth II	29.6	5,283

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,854
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8

Incumbent Jason Smith defeated James Snider and Grant Heithold in the Republican primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jason Smith	82.3	98,171
		James Snider	9.2	10,987
		Grant Heithold	8.5	10,149

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 119,307
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8

Jake Dawson advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Jake Dawson	100.0	247

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 247
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Heithold in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Grant Heithold completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Heithold's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Hello, my name is Grant Heithold. I am originally from Nebraska and moved with my parents to the rural area of Salem, MO, as a freshman in high school.

I graduated from the University of Missouri Rolla (now known as S&T) with an Engineering Degree.

I taught junior high and high school math and chemistry for one year before accepting work in the Engineering field. For several years, I helped support the operations of nuclear power plants by evaluating testing data from motor-operated valves, along with other duties. At Commanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant, Glenrose, TX, I rose to the position of lead engineer in construction package closures before initial startup. When the Glenrose job ended, I moved back to Missouri to farm and open a small business in Licking, MO, where I am currently employed.

I have been blessed with a wonderful wife, Lori, for 35 years and three children who all have families of their own.

I am a believer in Jesus Christ, who is my Savior and friend.

This Nation has been blessed by hard-working people who have given their lives for the freedoms we enjoy.

I believe the majority of our Republican Representatives in Congress are out of touch with the people they are supposed to be representing. They are out of touch, and we are out of time!

Some people say it's too late, but I am still optimistic that this can be turned around. I look forward to meeting people and being a part of this solution for them in the future.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I believe the 8th District is not being represented to the fullest. Jason's (Smith) last vote on this mega-spending bill shows that he is out of touch. This spending bill keeps our federal spending at post-covid levels which is forty percent above pre-covid level spending. We cannot sustain this level of spending. This bill gives President Biden more money to process illegal aliens faster. Our taxpayer money from the 8th District (through President Biden's open-border policies) supports over ten million aliens who are not being vetted properly. Child trafficking is rampant, and the fentanyl express stays wide open. The stance I have is to shut the border down, or shut the government down immediately! Ronald Reagan did this eight
• Election integrity is a real problem. One of the biggest events in the history of our country was when our election was stolen in 2020. This present administration took our country without firing a shot. Elections have consequences, and stolen elections have catastrophic consequences. If the people of the 8th District cannot see what's in front of their faces, with our country coming to its knees with Biden's policies, one needs to consider changing the media you are listening to. Suggestion: Steve Bannon's War Room is a start. He can be found under Frank Speech or Rumble. Start by being a committee man or a committee woman for your precinct. Hand-counting paper ballots at the precinct-level. No black boxes!
• I am pro-life..."My body, my choice", is said out of ignorance. When you ask any woman who believes this statement, would you have pain if your arm was torn from your body? The answer would be certainly yes. Severe pain is also experienced in the abortion procedure when the limb of your baby is torn off but it's the baby thats experiencing severe pain not you. This is direct evidence that the baby is not you body! Your baby is a living human being. For those who had this abortion procedure and regret their decision, there is forgiveness and healing available. I support the truth of life through education for future mothers that have been given the gift of life through their precious babies they helped concieve.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The New York times reported in early 2023 of 85,000 kids missing because of the open border policy of the Biden administration. This evil policy reinforced my passion for these kids. Many are being trafficked. They have lost all hope. The Cartel makes more profits off of these kids and sometimes young adults than the drug trade. The reason they can is because these kids can be molested or raped several times a day increasing the Cartels profits. Please watch "Sound of Freedom" a 2023 Christian thriller film. As your representative I will do all can to CLOSE THE BORDER!

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Jesus Christ. He is love.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The Bible is most reproduced book in the world. There is where truth is found.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Having a strong foundation for right and wrong from my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If you don't have this foundation from the one who is the truth, you will bend from any good principles you have had in the past. That is what I am seeing with our present representative now. I believe he is not only bending he is breaking. He is not representing his constituents in the 8th District anymore.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Stubborn, patient and fair.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To represent the people of the District. Listen to them. To create an environment were people can flourish personally through the freedoms our Constitution declares. To encourage self sufficiency in which people have value in what they have accomplished. To help people realize there is a God that loves them that they can trust Him to get them through any circumstance.

What legacy would you like to leave?

A better country to live in for all after me.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Assassination of JFK. When growing up sometimes we were with out TV. Based on my age I may have remembered it after the fact.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Taking care of animals on our family farm.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"Out of Touch" by Hall & Oates. This is the condition that Jason is in with the 8th District.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Making time for family time.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

A sense of fairness of oversight

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Although I believe the mechanics of the office can be understood easier with previous experience. The judgements that an outsider may have may be a breath of fresh air for those who have been there for awhile.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

The national debt. We are on a pace of 1 trillion dollars every 100 days in added debt with almost 35 trillion trillion currently banked! We will not survive if this continues. This last spending bill which Jason supported continues our trajectory into the ground.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP)... the Chinese people are not the problem its the few families that are putting their thumb on the people called the CCP. They have stolen our intellectual properties, threatening to take Taiwan and have helped steal the 2020 election. The laptop from hell gives strong evidence that Biden and his family is part of the problem.

The border ... a national with out a border is no longer a nation.

Big Tech needs to be held accountable for there censorship of free speech. There is no longer free speech in America. This needs to be reversed.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

yes

What are your thoughts on term limits?

As a political figure we should be there to serve. This should not be a career.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

A lot of the freedom caucus guys.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Please, we need representation!

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Some.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

Bringing jobs back into our nation. Creating an environment for business and people to excel by cutting out bad regulations. This green new deal needs to stop its a fallacy making us less competitive. As we Americans are fooling around with the green new deal lie, the CCP is building coal fired power plants at record rates.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

They are oversight. Use the subpoena powers to its full extent. Organize a real J6 committee instead of the clown show of the last. Make those involve in the previous committee subject to our own investigations that are fair. Release all of the tapes of J6.

What committees interest you?

Where ever I am needed.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

There is very little the US citizen should not know about. I don't trust the 3 letter agencies that this administration has weaponize against its citizens over last 3 years. These agencies have lacked proper oversight for decades. We are now seeing the fruit of this and it is rotten.
The House needs to exercise it Constitutional duties and practice hardcore oversight over these non-elected members in these agencies. We need to dismantle, at the least, these agencies and rebuild with trusted personnel. Project 2025 comes to mind, you can be a part of the team.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Heithold’s campaign website stated the following:

“	2nd Amendment The government shall not prevent lawful citizens from owning/obtaining firearms. I support Castle Doctrine, constitutional carry, the intrinsic right to defend one’s life and property, and the idea that the 2nd Amendment was written to articulate our right to protect ourselves from tyrannical government, not just hunting and self-defense. Protect Life Stop Public Dollars from being sent to abortion providers. Abortion (except in cases of medical emergency) is now illegal in Missouri. I have always been Pro-Life, and I will continue to defend the most vulnerable Missourians—those that have yet to be born. Education Parents, Kids, and Families in Education. Parents have a right to transparent access to public school curriculum and lesson plans. We need to protect our children from woke and hate programs in our public schools. When children are taught to hate their country and each other, the foundation of Missouri and America is at risk. Immigration Secure The Border And Deport Illegal Immigrants Elections Voting Machines Have To Go Secure And Maintain Accurate Voting Rolls End Mail In Ballots One Day Voting Holiday Precinct Level, Hand Counting, Paper Ballots	”
—Grant Heithold’s campaign website (2024)

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Grant Heithold campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House Missouri District 8	Lost primary	$19,230	$15,108
Grand total			$19,230	$15,108
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

See also

2024 Elections

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Newsletters

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External links

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Candidate

U.S. House Missouri District 8

Website

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Footnotes

[show]

Missouri's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Josh Hawley (R)

Eric Schmitt (R)

Representatives

District 1

Wesley Bell (D)

District 2

Ann Wagner (R)

District 3

Bob Onder (R)

District 4

Mark Alford (R)

District 5

Emanuel Cleaver (D)

District 6

Sam Graves (R)

District 7

Eric Burlison (R)

District 8

Jason Smith (R)

Republican Party (8)

Democratic Party (2)