Missouri's 8th Congressional District election, 2026

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Missouri's 8th Congressional District
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 31, 2026
Primary: August 4, 2026 General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Missouri
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican DDHQ and The Hill: Pending Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
Missouri's 8th Congressional District 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th Missouri elections, 2026 U.S. Congress elections, 2026 U.S. Senate elections, 2026 U.S. House elections, 2026 Alabama U.S. House racesAlaska U.S. House raceArizona U.S. House racesArkansas U.S. House racesCalifornia U.S. House racesColorado U.S. House racesConnecticut U.S. House racesDelaware U.S. House raceFlorida U.S. House racesGeorgia U.S. House racesHawaii U.S. House racesIdaho U.S. House racesIllinois U.S. House racesIndiana U.S. House racesIowa U.S. House racesKansas U.S. House racesKentucky U.S. House racesLouisiana U.S. House racesMaine U.S. House racesMaryland U.S. House racesMassachusetts U.S. House racesMichigan U.S. House racesMinnesota U.S. House racesMississippi U.S. House racesMissouri U.S. House racesMontana U.S. House racesNebraska U.S. House racesNevada U.S. House racesNew Hampshire U.S. House racesNew Jersey U.S. House racesNew Mexico U.S. House racesNew York U.S. House racesNorth Carolina U.S. House racesNorth Dakota U.S. House raceOhio U.S. House racesOklahoma U.S. House racesOregon U.S. House racesPennsylvania U.S. House racesRhode Island U.S. House racesSouth Carolina U.S. House racesSouth Dakota U.S. House raceTennessee U.S. House racesTexas U.S. House racesUtah U.S. House racesVermont U.S. House raceVirginia U.S. House racesWashington U.S. House racesWest Virginia U.S. House racesWisconsin U.S. House racesWyoming U.S. House raceSubmit

All U.S. House districts, including the 8th Congressional District of Missouri, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. To learn more about other elections on the ballot, click here.

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

• Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
• Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. House Missouri District 8

Incumbent Jason Smith, Gerald Cass, and Johnathon Tune are running in the general election for U.S. House Missouri District 8 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Jason Smith (R)
	Submit photo	Gerald Cass (D)
		Johnathon Tune (R)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= 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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Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Johnathon Tune

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "Johnathon Tune’s life is a story of service, resilience, and commitment. Born in Willow Springs, Missouri, he grew up working on his family’s cattle farm, learning the values of hard work and responsibility. His journey took him beyond the farm, starting with a nursing degree from the University of Minnesota Morris, driven by a passion for helping others. Seeking to serve his country, Johnathon enlisted in the United States Navy, where he served four years of active duty. This experience honed his leadership skills and deepened his sense of duty. As a proud member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Johnathon became an advocate for Native Foster Care Rights, working to ensure that Native children were heard and protected. After the Navy, he returned to Missouri, supporting his family’s businesses while also becoming a volunteer firefighter, responding to emergencies and keeping his community safe. He further challenged himself by earning his pilot’s license, adding aviation to his list of achievements. Johnathon’s life blends service to his country, community, and Native heritage, along with his dedication to family and farming. Through nursing, military service, firefighting, and advocacy, he has made a lasting impact on those around him, always guided by the values of hard work, responsibility, and compassion."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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A Proven Leader with a Commitment to Service "As a Navy veteran, nurse, and volunteer firefighter, I’ve spent my life serving others. I’ve witnessed firsthand the challenges our community faces and I’ve dedicated myself to solutions—whether it’s protecting our families or advocating for Native children’s rights. I will bring that same commitment to leadership in Missouri District 8, ensuring that our community’s voice is heard and our needs are met."

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A Strong Advocate for Family and Rural Values "Growing up on a farm in Willow Springs, I understand the values that make our rural communities strong—hard work, family, and the need for economic opportunity. I will work to ensure our farmers and small businesses thrive, and that families have access to the resources they need to succeed. Together, we can build a prosperous future while preserving our way of life."

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Fighting for Native American Rights and Justice "As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, I’ve dedicated myself to advocating for Native children’s rights, including fighting for Native Foster Care Rights. I will continue this fight in our district, ensuring that Native communities are respected and their needs are met. We must stand together for justice, fairness, and equality for all."

Voting information

See also: Voting in Missouri

Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

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.

Expand all | Collapse all

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?

Johnathon Tune (R)

A Proven Leader with a Commitment to Service

"As a Navy veteran, nurse, and volunteer firefighter, I’ve spent my life serving others. I’ve witnessed firsthand the challenges our community faces and I’ve dedicated myself to solutions—whether it’s protecting our families or advocating for Native children’s rights. I will bring that same commitment to leadership in Missouri District 8, ensuring that our community’s voice is heard and our needs are met."

A Strong Advocate for Family and Rural Values "Growing up on a farm in Willow Springs, I understand the values that make our rural communities strong—hard work, family, and the need for economic opportunity. I will work to ensure our farmers and small businesses thrive, and that families have access to the resources they need to succeed. Together, we can build a prosperous future while preserving our way of life."

Fighting for Native American Rights and Justice

"As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, I’ve dedicated myself to advocating for Native children’s rights, including fighting for Native Foster Care Rights. I will continue this fight in our district, ensuring that Native communities are respected and their needs are met. We must stand together for justice, fairness, and equality for all."

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Johnathon Tune (R)

Reducing Drug Use, Bettering Missouri and its Health Care, Better infrastructures in Missouri.

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

Johnathon Tune (R)

Representation of Constituents: The primary duty is to be the voice of the people. This means listening to their needs, understanding their struggles, and advocating for policies that directly benefit them. Staying connected with the community is key to ensuring that their concerns are heard and acted upon.

Advocacy and Legislation: An elected official should work to pass laws and support initiatives that improve the lives of constituents. Whether it's enhancing healthcare, supporting economic growth, or strengthening education, the goal is to create lasting, positive change. Advocacy for marginalized groups is also vital, ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Transparency and Accountability: Trust is built on openness. Elected officials must be transparent in their actions and decisions, and be accountable for how resources are allocated. This ensures public confidence and a commitment to serving the people honestly. Collaboration and Leadership: Effective leadership means working with others to solve complex problems. It’s about building relationships, finding common ground, and leading with integrity to advance the community’s interests over personal gain.

Service to the Community: Ultimately, the role of an elected official is to serve others. This means putting the well-being of constituents first, working tirelessly to improve their lives, and ensuring justice, equality, and opportunity for all.

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

Johnathon Tune (R)

I owned a vape store at 18 years old. I had it for a year before going Active Duty in the Navy

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Johnathon Tune (R)

Bailey Chevrolet, Bass Pro Shops, and Hill Country Office Supplies, LLC

You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:

• Jason Smith

Campaign finance

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Jason Smith	Republican Party	$2,476,134	$1,202,007	$4,291,272	As of June 30, 2025
Gerald Cass	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Johnathon Tune	Republican Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election. *** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: Missouri's 8th Congressional District election, 2026
Race tracker	Race ratings
	9/23/2025	9/16/2025	9/9/2025	9/2/2025
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican
Decision Desk HQ and The Hill	Pending	Pending	Pending	Pending
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Safe Republican	Safe Republican	Safe Republican	Safe Republican
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Ballot access

This section will contain information on ballot access related to this state's elections when it is available.

District history

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.

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.
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

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.

2022

See also: Missouri's 8th Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Missouri District 8

Incumbent Jason Smith defeated Randi McCallian and Jim Higgins in the general election for U.S. House Missouri District 8 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jason Smith (R)	76.0	186,472
		Randi McCallian (D)	21.9	53,738
		Jim Higgins (L)	2.1	5,185

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 245,395
= 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

Democratic primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8

Randi McCallian advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Randi McCallian	100.0	16,691

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 16,691
= 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 Jacob Turner in the Republican primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jason Smith	82.0	78,342
		Jacob Turner	18.0	17,242

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 95,584
= 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

• Jeremy Dennison (R)

Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8

Jim Higgins advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House Missouri District 8 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jim Higgins	100.0	232

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 232
= 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.

2020

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

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

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 330,226
= 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

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

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	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

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	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

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	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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

District analysis

This section will contain facts and figures related to this district's elections when those are available.

See also

Missouri	2026 primaries	2026 U.S. Congress elections
Missouri congressional delegation Voting in Missouri Missouri elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018	Democratic primary battlegrounds Republican primary battlegrounds U.S. Senate Democratic primaries U.S. Senate Republican primaries U.S. House Democratic primaries U.S. House Republican primaries	U.S. Congress elections U.S. Senate elections U.S. House elections Special elections Ballot access

External links

• Search Google News for this topic

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)

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