Mark Bliss (Missouri)

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

Mark Bliss

Libertarian Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

University of Central Missouri, 2012

Graduate

University of Central Missouri, 2019

Personal

Religion

Christian

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Personal Facebook

Mark Bliss (Libertarian Party) ran for election to the Missouri State Senate to represent District 21. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

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

Bliss was a 2016 and 2018 Libertarian candidate for the Missouri's 4th Congressional District.

Biography

Bliss earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Central Missouri in 2012 and his master's degree from the University of Central Missouri in 2019.

Elections

2020

See also: Missouri State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Missouri State Senate District 21

Incumbent Denny Hoskins defeated Mark Bliss in the general election for Missouri State Senate District 21 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Denny Hoskins (R)	79.8	61,698
		Mark Bliss (L)	20.2	15,595

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 77,293
= 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 Missouri State Senate District 21

Incumbent Denny Hoskins advanced from the Republican primary for Missouri State Senate District 21 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Denny Hoskins	100.0	21,430

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 21,430 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= 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 Missouri State Senate District 21

Mark Bliss advanced from the Libertarian primary for Missouri State Senate District 21 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Bliss	100.0	151

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 151 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= 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

To see a list of endorsements for Mark Bliss, click here.

2018

See also: Missouri's 4th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

Incumbent Vicky Hartzler defeated Renee Hoagenson and Mark Bliss in the general election for U.S. House Missouri District 4 on November 6, 2018.

General election

General election for U.S. House Missouri District 4

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Vicky Hartzler (R)	64.8	190,138
		Renee Hoagenson (D)	32.7	95,968
		Mark Bliss (L)	2.5	7,210

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 293,316
= 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

Renee Hoagenson defeated Hallie Thompson in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Missouri District 4 on August 7, 2018.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Missouri District 4

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Renee Hoagenson	51.9	24,139
		Hallie Thompson	48.1	22,398

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 46,537
= 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

Incumbent Vicky Hartzler defeated John Webb in the Republican primary for U.S. House Missouri District 4 on August 7, 2018.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Missouri District 4

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Vicky Hartzler	73.5	74,226
		John Webb	26.5	26,787

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 101,013
= 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jenna Marie Bourgeois (R)

Libertarian primary

Mark Bliss defeated Steven Koonse in the Libertarian primary for U.S. House Missouri District 4 on August 7, 2018.

Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for U.S. House Missouri District 4

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Bliss	56.1	398
		Steven Koonse	43.9	312

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 710
= 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.

2016

See also: Missouri's 4th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Vicky Hartzler (R) defeated Gordon Christensen (D) and Mark Bliss (L) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Hartzler defeated John Webb in the Republican primary, while Christensen defeated Jack Truman to win the Democratic nomination. The primary elections took place on August 2, 2016. Hartzler won re-election in the November 8 election.

U.S. House, Missouri District 4 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Vicky Hartzler Incumbent	67.8%	225,348
	Democratic	Gordon Christensen	27.8%	92,510
	Libertarian	Mark Bliss	4.3%	14,376
Total Votes				332,234
Source: Missouri Secretary of State

U.S. House, Missouri District 4 Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Gordon Christensen	62.7%	17,160
Jack Truman	37.3%	10,196
Total Votes		27,356
Source: Missouri Secretary of State

U.S. House, Missouri District 4 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Vicky Hartzler Incumbent	72.5%	73,853
John Webb	27.5%	28,037
Total Votes		101,890
Source: Missouri Secretary of State

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

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

Mark Bliss is a self-proclaimed "fiscal conservative" and proponent for localized government, more individual freedoms, less restrictions on small business, and less taxes, while at the same time, is a proponent of equal pay for women, better funded schools, expanding the hemp industry, decriminalization, and putting civil rights issues at the forefront of his campaign. Mark has worked in higher-education, with non-profit community groups, and for private-sector businesses, giving him the advantage to see where change is needed across the spectrum. He taught as an adjunct for the University of Central Missouri where he completed his Masters of Arts in Sociology, and has spent the last few election cycles campaigning for candidates for local and federal offices. He ran for United States Congressman in 2018 against Vicky Hartzler on the premise that, if elected, would fight to bring troops home from endless war in the Middle East, cut taxes on the working class, and audit the Federal Reserve and re-instate the gold-standard. Mark would ask you to review his positions and vision for District 21 to bring about what he calls "Our Best Years Ahead" by visiting his website at www.blissforsenate.com.

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?

• Missouri will prosper when its citizens keep more of their paychecks, and have more freedom.
• MO will become the leader in hemp production again, bringing thousands of jobs and millions of dollars back to Missouri.
• #MakeTacoTuesday50CentsAgain!

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Mark's philosophy when it comes to policymaking is simple: a YES vote if it leads to more freedom for Missourians, and an NO vote if it takes freedoms away. He aligns his beliefs with the Official Libertarian Party Platform of 2020, with few exceptions.

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

"Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve," said Martin Luther King, Jr. In every opportunity I've had, whether at work, in school, at church, in the community, I come with an attitude of service. I don't seek power, I hope for a day when everyone can win. I want to fight for everyone's right to be successful and enjoy life. I truly believe that, if we put our differences aside, and serve one another, we still have our best years ahead of us.

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

Don't Harm Others, and Don't Take Their Stuff.

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

My only agenda is to give Missourian's the freedom to govern themselves.

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

The Eagles, Peaceful Easy Feeling.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Denny Hoskins is becoming a lifelong career politician, first as a Representative and now as a Senator. It is important that we prevent that, that we elect people who work in the same office as us, who go to our church, whose kids are on the same ball team. We are a government BY the people, not FOR the rich and powerful. We don't need career politicians like Hoskins, we need neighbors, businesswomen and men, veterans, and people who won't profit from the position.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

We are facing rising levels of both poverty, and illicit drug use. But despite the stigma, decriminalization of hemp and cannabis is the ONLY way to combat both. We have friends and family who are victims of the War on Drugs. We don't want them in prison, we want them in rehab! We don't want unregulated drugs on the streets and in our schools, we want medical options to help individuals struggling with addiction. We also know that cannabis should not be categorized the same way other illicit drugs are, but CBD and Hemp do not only offer health benefits, but could help Missouri prosper financially and make us a leader of the nation's economy. At one time, Hemp production made Missouri a rich state, it's time again to deregulate industrial hemp and make Missouri great again. End the war on drugs, and use hemp to transform our state's economy.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

As a Libertarian, I have many differences between myself and current politicians. However, the Libertarian tent is a big one. You and I can agree on a multitude of issues, and I can find common ground with legislators of other parties as well. I am guided by common sense, and I do not vote party lines. I do not hold grudges, or play games with peoples' livelihoods. I will work across both aisles to make sure Missourians succeed.

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.

2016

The following issues were listed on Bliss' campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

“	American Jobs: Facing our highest national unemployment since the Depression, many blame big business for hoarding wealth or for moving their companies overseas, stating that greed has driven our economy into an irreversible downturn. From a business perspective, it is cheaper to manufacture products overseas and ship them to the U.S. than it is to build them right here at home. We must offer incentives to small businesses to bring back, and keep jobs in America. National Debt: As a fiscally responsible candidate, I can no longer stand for this $18,000,000,000,000 (thats Trillion!) in debt that we will leave for our children. Republicans and Democrats alike have recklessly spent our tax dollars for too long. We must look at what our country agrees is a priority, and what should be eliminated from the public sector. Term Limits: Being a politician shouldn't be a lifetime career. It also shouldn't be a highly paid position, in my opinion. I will pass legislation to put term limits on political offices, and end the lifetime pension payments to retired politicians. Even more, I will vote against every pay raise, and try to pass legislation that reduces the pay of congressmen to the average American worker. The U.S. Dollar: We don’t need a degree in Economics to feel the value of the U.S. dollar decreasing every time we go to the grocery store. Milk, eggs, bread, and meat are staples in every family’s home, but it is increasingly harder to buy these simple foods. The prices are not only increasing, but the purchasing power of your dollar is becoming less and less stable. National Defense: National defense is today neither. We spend $300,000 in one hour chasing ISIS, and over $10 Million per hour in the Middle East “spreading Democracy” while supplying our enemies with guns and money. The policies of past presidents are not working; it is not our job, nor for our national safety, that we get caught in endless wars overseas. Because of our meddling and choosing favorites, we have allowed more malevolent terrorist groups to rise to power.	”
—Mark Bliss' campaign website, http://www.bliss4congress.com/#!on-the-issues/izsi2

See also

2020 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

Coronavirus Weekly Updates Documenting America's Path to Recovery The Heart of the Primaries The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

Suggest a link

• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook
• Campaign Twitter

Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Missouri State Senate

Leadership

Majority Leader:Tony Luetkemeyer

Minority Leader:Doug Beck

Senators

District 1

Doug Beck (D)

District 2

Nick Schroer (R)

District 3

Mike Henderson (R)

District 4

Karla May (D)

District 5

Steve Roberts (D)

District 6

Mike Bernskoetter (R)

District 7

Patty Lewis (D)

District 8

Mike Cierpiot (R)

District 9

Barbara Washington (D)

District 10

Travis Fitzwater (R)

District 11

Joe Nicola (R)

District 12

Rusty Black (R)

District 13

Angela Mosley (D)

District 14

Brian Williams (D)

District 15

David Gregory (R)

District 16

Justin Brown (R)

District 17

Maggie Nurrenbern (D)

District 18

Cindy O'Laughlin (R)

District 19

Stephen Webber (D)

District 20

Curtis Trent (R)

District 21

Kurtis Gregory (R)

District 22

Mary Coleman (R)

District 23

Adam Schnelting (R)

District 24

Tracy McCreery (D)

District 25

Jason Bean (R)

District 26

Ben Brown (R)

District 27

Jamie Burger (R)

District 28

Sandy Crawford (R)

District 29

Mike Moon (R)

District 30

Lincoln Hough (R)

District 31

Rick Brattin (R)

District 32

Jill Carter (R)

District 33

Brad Hudson (R)

District 34

Tony Luetkemeyer (R)

Republican Party (24)

Democratic Party (10)