Kathy Ellis

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Kathy Ellis

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Personal

Profession

Social worker

Contact

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Kathy Ellis (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Missouri's 8th Congressional District. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Ellis completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Kathy Ellis was born in Jefferson County, Missouri. She earned a bachelor's degree in administration of justice from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She earned a master's degree in social work from Washington University in St. Louis. Ellis' career experience includes working as a social worker and as an addiction counselor.

Her professional credentials include the following:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker
• Board Certified in Clinical Social Work
• Certified Reciprocal Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor
• Certified Experiential Therapist III

Elections

2020

See also: Missouri's 8th Congressional District election, 2020

Missouri's 8th Congressional District election, 2020 (August 4 Democratic primary)

Missouri's 8th Congressional District election, 2020 (August 4 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Missouri District 8

Incumbent Jason Smith defeated Kathy Ellis and Tom Schmitz in the general election for U.S. House Missouri District 8 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jason Smith (R)	76.9	253,811
		Kathy Ellis (D)	21.4	70,561
		Tom Schmitz (L)	1.8	5,854

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 330,226
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8

Kathy Ellis advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kathy Ellis	100.0	20,354

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 20,354
= 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 advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jason Smith	100.0	114,074

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 114,074
= 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

Tom Schmitz advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tom Schmitz	100.0	265

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 265
= 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.
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Endorsements

To view Kathy Ellis' endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

2018

See also: Missouri's 8th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

Incumbent Jason Smith defeated Kathy Ellis and Jonathan Lee Shell in the general election for U.S. House Missouri District 8 on November 6, 2018.

General election

General election for U.S. House Missouri District 8

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jason Smith (R)	73.4	194,042
		Kathy Ellis (D)	25.0	66,151
		Jonathan Lee Shell (L)	1.6	4,206

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 264,399
= 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.

Democratic primary election

Kathy Ellis advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8 on August 7, 2018.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kathy Ellis	100.0	33,799

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,799
= 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

Incumbent Jason Smith advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8 on August 7, 2018.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jason Smith	100.0	91,809

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 91,809
= 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

Jonathan Lee Shell advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8 on August 7, 2018.

Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jonathan Lee Shell	100.0	361

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 361
= 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.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Kathy Ellis completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Ellis' 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.

I was born on November 25, 1955, in Jefferson County, Missouri. My mother was a third-grade public school teacher, and my father was a school administrator; I attended this same public school, the R-1 School District (Northwest), as a child. After graduation, I attended the University of Missouri - St. Louis where I received my Bachelor of Science focused on the Administration of Justice. I later attended Washington University in St. Louis, where I received my Master of Social Work. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Board Certified in Clinical Social Work; a Certified Reciprocal Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor; and a Certified Experiential Therapist III. For over thirty-five years, I have worked as a Clinical Social Worker and Addictions Counselor and have additionally held a variety of positions. In addition to my professional positions, I currently serve as the Vice-Chair of a Board of a local community health center, as well as the Secretary of a foundation board that assists in providing services to women and children victimized by domestic violence. I have served in a variety of mentorship roles both to other social workers and through community programs.

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?

• We need affordable, accessible healthcare for all.
• We need to fight for working families by raising the minimum wage, ensuring the right to organize, and ending government corruption.
• We need a new deal for rural America that includes investment in infrastructure, Broadband access for all, and reliable cell service for even our most remote citizens. For too long, our rural areas have been ignored. It's time we invest in our rural communities and create jobs for our families.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As a Social Worker and Addiction Counselor for the past 40 years, I approach politics in a bit of a different manner. For me, this campaign has always been about fighting for working families by investing in our rural areas, expanding healthcare access to all, and fighting for a stronger local economy. In Missouri's 8th District, healthcare is our top issue, with six of our local hospitals closing in the past five years and many more at risk of closure. It's about time we invest in the health of our communities - we know that a healthy population is a productive population.

I am, in light of this, extremely passionate about expanding our Comprehensive Community Health Centers into the region. We need to expand primary care access to alleviate the burden on our emergency rooms and begin investing in the long-term health of our population.

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

I look up to all of the strong women who have survived many hardships, challenges, and difficult circumstances. These women are those who have risen above domestic violence, trauma, barriers of all kinds - those who have persisted and prevailed. There are so many who live quiet lives helping their communities to those in public life, including Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Michele Obama, Madeleine Albright, and all those women who fought for freedom and justice throughout the centuries, from Bible heroines to Selma. March on!

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

My political philosophy comes more from the observation of others who have been in politics rather than in what I have read. I had the opportunity to spend a day with Former First Lady Rosalyn Carter and have followed her and President Carter as they have engaged in a meaningful retirement full of public service throughout the world. After inviting Mrs. Carter to visit our health center to speak about mental health issues, I was invited to the Carter Center for her annual Mental Health Forum. It was a great opportunity to see her grace and dignity in action. She spoke of her relationship with President Carter and how they set out on a mission to do whatever they could with the status they had from the White House. I feel the same way about President Obama and Former First Lady Michelle Obama-they are powerful role models that demand that we do our best and be our best. We need integrity in all areas of government and we need always think first of others.

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

Honesty, integrity, humility, discipline, creativity, tenacity, understanding, ability to listen, know when to be quiet, diligent, wisdom, good sense of humor, ability to ask questions and find answers, surrounds themselves with people who have these qualities, knows when to own their mistakes and learn from them, strength and determination, ability to cooperate with others, accepts help and guidance when needed, shows appreciation.

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

The core responsbilities of an elected are to be honest with their constituents about why they vote as they do, to listen to those who don't share the same values, to be an honorable member of Congress and follow ethics, traditions, and rules of this chamber, to respect the Constitution and "preserve and protect" at all costs to show up in one's district, do town halls, answer questions and be as accessible as possible to all citizens of the district.; to work well with other members and show respect even for dissent; to make government work for as many as possible; and to know when it is time to go home.

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

The current administration has damaged innumerable aspects of our governmental structure. It will take many years (if this president is defeated in 2020) to rebuild the infrastructure of most of the departments in government. It will take a rebuilding of vital departments such as the State Department, Education, Energy. Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Interior, Veterans Affairs and all the rest. The Constitution has been shredded by this administration by its design to destroy the government by shrinking it as well as the incompetent, ineffective and self-serving individuals that have been placed in position. They have destroyed our standing in the world, created income inequality, destroyed the ability of those wishing to be American citizens by blocking immigration, encouraged the rise of white supremacy and fascism in our country, and have robbed the United States of any dignity. It will take an enormous effort to over-ride all of these egregious actions into a system that functions as a government with the rule of the people being the most important aspect. We need to get rid of Citizens United, the worst Supreme Court Decision that we have had to endure, we must protect women's reproductive rights, mend our relationships with our allies, attend to the needs of veterans, the military, our first responders, provide universal healthcare for all, protect our natural resources and environment again, attend to the needs of rural Americans, promote and support clean energy and have a department of innovation that will continue to use the best minds in the country to correct the damage that this administration has created. We are continuing to have a Pandemic that terrorizes and destroys our citizens and those in other countries with little understanding or support from a weak and malevolent executive branch. We can do better and we must do better.

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

Two years in Congress means one year of actually trying to do something in Congress for the District and one year of running for office. It is ridiculous to spend the enormous amounts of money that campaigns require and then turn around and do it again. Those in Congress have to spend so much time trying to raise money, that they cannot effectively govern and respond to the needs of their constituents. I am in favor of a four year term for members of Congress with a limit of three terms. If they haven't gotten anything done, they need to be voted out of office. I also support term limits in the Senate-three six year terms.

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?

spoke at a VFW Hall in my district in 2018. An elderly woman came up to me and said that she had a problem trying to get help for her husband who needed help from the VA hospital in her area. I spoke with her for about fifteen minutes discussing options that she had. When I told her that the best thing she could do was to contact the current Congressional Representative, she said that she had tried repeatedly to get some help from his office but only got a form letter response that had nothing to do with what she needed. After I gave her some telephone numbers, talked about what she could say to the different people she was contacting. She had tears in her eyes when she said "thank you-you are the only person that has really listened to me and tried to help me out." I gave her a hug and walked her out of the building. After I decided to run again in 2020, she posted something on Facebook. She told the story of our meeting and discussion and that the suggestions I gave her had gotten her husband the treatment that he needed. She said that "this is the way that our public servants are supposed to be...to listen, to provide ideas for solutions to problems, and to care." I don't know what happened after that but she was right. That's what we are supposed to do.

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.

2018

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Kathy Ellis completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Ellis' responses.

What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

Affordable and accessible healthcare for all (Medicare for All), strengthen our public schools and keep vouchers, charter schools, and homeschooling options out of our rural areas, upgrade and repair our damaged infrastructure including broadband/create high paying jobs.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am a clinical social worker and addiction counselor. I am passionate about healthcare for all in my district. Our hospitals are closing in my district and there are no services to replace them; this is unacceptable. We must be able to negotiate the cost of healthcare as well as pharmaceuticals.

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

I had the opportunity to spend the day with Former First Lady Rosalyn Carter at the symposium on mental health at the Carter Center and at our health center. She has the ability to reach out and connect with people in a very powerful way. She shook hands with over 1000 people on the day I was with her, and she captured the hearts of all for her ability to connect with all people. I admire her greatly for all the work she has done and continues to do for mental health.

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

"Dave" and "Milk" are the two political films that I connect with. "Dave" is the man who takes the President's place and then wholeheartedly guides the nation. His lack of experience and his wholesomeness is refreshing. "Milk" is about a man who sacrifices his life because of his belief that everyone should be of value in our country. Both touch me in different ways but it reminds us that we are all called to a "higher ground".

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

An elected official should have the ability to sit down with constituents and listen to what their concerns are and "what keeps them up at night." We need to talk less and listen more to those who are impacted by our policies. A good public servant is doing the job for the people, not to enhance his or her own pockets.

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

As a social worker for over thirty years, I am able to listen to people who are experiencing a variety of difficulties; problem solving is something that I do daily with the people that I serve. I have the perspective of being the vice-chair of a community health center board as well as a domestic violence shelter board. I work with those of every political persuasion. I am calm and attentive and work with people to bring them together.

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

Listen to constituents and guide policy to meet those needs. Follow the "will of the people" and when I make a decision that is contrary, be available to answer questions and listen to comments. Being accessible to the electorate is vital. Staying in contact with the leaders of each county is important as well as getting to know as many throughout the 30 county district as possible.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to have served my district by bringing healthcare to all citizens of the district, protecting public education and renewing the status of education in our district, and creating the start of a broad-based infrastructure plan that will help the residents for years to come.

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

On November 22, 1963, I was looking forward to my 8th birthday party. I remember seeing my teachers with tears in their eyes that afternoon. My mom picked me up from school that day and we went to our church to pray for our country and our president. I remember watching the funeral procession as a dark mood settled over our country. We lost our innocence that day and have never gotten it back.

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

My first job was giving piano lessons to little kids in the neighborhood. That lasted a couple of years in high school. My first real job out of graduate school was working with teens who had dropped out of school. I worked with them to get their GED's, counseled them on various problems they were experiencing, and worked with them by teaching job skills.

What happened on your most awkward date?

After seeing the Barbra Streisand version of "A Star is Born", a beautiful, heavy snow was on the ground when we got out. We had no cell phones back then so we were hours late getting home. After battling through the traffic in the snow, we got closer to our homes in the country and found that there was very little snow. It was a challenge to explain that one to parents!

What is your favorite holiday? Why?

Christmas. It is my favorite because I usually take a couple of weeks off work to enjoy decorating and cooking and seeing all family members in one house at the same time!

What is your favorite book? Why?

To Kill A Mockingbird-it is a timeless book that tells the story of where we were in American and where we still are struggling.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

"Scout" in To Kill a Mockingbird

What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?

We have a tiny three season room that looks out over the woods in our yard. The room is comfortable, quiet and warm. Perfect for reading or napping and just looking at the seasons.

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

ANYTHING from the musical, "Alexander Hamilton"

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

My brother died when he was 39. Our family created the "village" that kept his children in a safe space in which to grow. They were 7 and 4 at the time of his death. They are now successful young adults; one is in medical school and the other just graduated with a degree in hospitality management.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Any process should be transparent, give redistricting authority to those who are not attached to certain elected officials/parties, or be drawn to disenfranchise any group residing in the district.

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

It is the body that truly represents the real people of the country. It is the rowdier of the two chambers but it possesses the ability to bring all bills for raising revenue and has the sole power of impeachment.

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

We need to have representatives that have a variety of experiences, from those who have governmental experience to those who are scientists, teacher, social workers, etc. It takes all walks of life to bring about a well-rounded House.

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

We are challenged as a nation to heal the divides that the current inhabitant of the White House continues to produce. We can only be successful as a nation when we are working together toward solving our problems. We need people of good faith and truth to be our public servants not the current batch of individuals that seem much more focused on putting money in their own pockets and in those of the millionaires and billionaires.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Ethics, Natural resources, Education and the workforce, veteran affairs

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

We are wasting money by having elections every two years. I believe that the terms should be expanded to four years.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

The more that I see members of Congress who have been in office for decades, the more convinced I am that we need term limits. We need to decide how we can balance bringing new members in with having those who have been in office for longer periods of time.

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

The great dignity of Rep. John Lewis is unsurpassed. His courage and conviction put most of the rest of us to shame. I would only hope to have some of his qualities.

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?

I met a young woman invited to a Meet and Greet event for me. She had never voted before, didn't think she was smart enough. She shared her story of trying to get custody of her nieces after her sister's opioid overdose and how hard it was to recover from her husband's loss of work after an injury. I told her that she was the reason that I was running: to help those who need a hand up. She called me the other day to let me know she got custody of the children and her husband was better. She said that she had one of my signs in her yard and had registered to vote for the first time. She just needed a little encouragement.

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.

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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)