Ronald Deets

Ronald Deets (independent) ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Missouri. He did not appear on the ballot for the general election on November 8, 2022. He did not appear on the ballot for the Republican primary on August 2, 2022. He did not appear on the ballot for the Democratic primary on August 2, 2022.

Deets completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.

During his 2022 candidacy for U.S. Senate in Missouri, Deets originally registered to run as a Republican and later ran as a Democratic candidate.^[1] In November 2021, he changed his affiliation again to run as an independent.^[2]

Biography

Ronald Deets was born in St. Joseph, Missouri. He received a bachelor's degree in 2012 and a graduate's degree in 2014, both from Northwest Missouri State University. Deets' professional experience includes working in medical accounting.^[3]

Elections

2022

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Missouri

The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. Senate Missouri on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Eric Schmitt (R)	55.4	1,146,966
		Trudy Busch Valentine (D)	42.2	872,694
		Jonathan Dine (L)	1.7	34,821
		Paul Venable (Constitution Party)	0.7	14,608
	Submit photo	Nathan Mooney (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	14
	Submit photo	Steve Price (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	9
		Rik Combs (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	6
		Gina Bufe (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	5
		Theodis Brown Sr. (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	4
	Submit photo	David Kirk (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	3
	Submit photo	Martin Lindstedt (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	0

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,069,130
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Nicholas Strauss (Independent)
Ronald Deets (Independent)
John Wood (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Missouri

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Missouri on August 2, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Trudy Busch Valentine	43.2	158,957
	Lucas Kunce	38.3	141,203
	Spencer Toder	4.7	17,465
	Carla Wright	3.9	14,438
	Gena Ross	2.4	8,749
	Jewel Kelly, Jr.	1.8	6,464
	Lewis Rolen	1.4	5,247
	Pat Kelly	1.4	5,002
	Ronald William Harris	1.1	4,074
	Joshua Shipp	0.9	3,334
	Clarence Taylor	0.9	3,322

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 368,255
= 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Missouri

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Missouri on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Eric Schmitt	45.6	299,282
		Vicky Hartzler	22.1	144,903
		Eric Greitens	18.9	124,155
		Billy Long	5.0	32,603
		Mark McCloskey	3.0	19,540
		Dave Schatz	1.1	7,509
	Submit photo	Patrick Lewis	0.9	6,085
		Curtis D. Vaughn	0.5	3,451
	Submit photo	Eric McElroy	0.4	2,805
	Submit photo	Robert Allen	0.3	2,111
		C.W. Gardner	0.3	2,044
	Submit photo	Dave Sims	0.3	1,949
		Bernie Mowinski	0.2	1,602
	Submit photo	Deshon Porter	0.2	1,574
		Darrell Leon McClanahan III	0.2	1,139
	Submit photo	Rickey Joiner	0.2	1,084
	Submit photo	Robert Olson	0.2	1,081
	Submit photo	Dennis Lee Chilton	0.1	755
		Russel Pealer Breyfogle Jr	0.1	685
	Submit photo	Kevin Schepers	0.1	681
	Submit photo	Hartford Tunnell	0.1	637

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 655,675
= 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

Constitution primary election

Constitution primary for U.S. Senate Missouri

Paul Venable advanced from the Constitution primary for U.S. Senate Missouri on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Paul Venable	100.0	792

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 792
= 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. Senate Missouri

Jonathan Dine advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate Missouri on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jonathan Dine	100.0	2,973

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,973
= 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

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

Ronald Deets completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Deets' 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 am a Lincoln Liberal Republican looking to restore the Republican Party and the nation to Lincoln Principles. I believe in UBI, Universal Healthcare, Universal Voting Rights, green energy, green housing for all, and strengthening both the USPS and IRS.

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?

Guaranteed Minimum Wage
Green Housing For All
Universal Voting Rights

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

UBI

Mental Health
Universal Healthcare
Disinformation Management
Universal voting rights
Green Energy/Housing
CRT and the implications of it - including reparations

Preparing America and the world for the 21st century and beyond

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

No man should have two cows until every man has a cow.

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

Transparency, accountability, life experience, empathy, and data based.

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

I have survived poverty, childhood abuse and trauma, homelessness, and domestic violence all while earning an education with multiple undiagnosed mental disabilities.

I was diagnosed at 34 with Autism Spectrum Disorder, PTSD, and CPTSD.

I understand struggle. I understand hardship.

I want to do all I can to prevent others from going through pain that I have lived through.

And the most efficient means of doing that is sponsoring original legislation in the Senate and whipping the votes to get it passed.

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

To make the lives of your constituents as good as they can be.

We need to be ever improving the minimum quality of life of Americans - and beyond.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to be remembered as someone who stepped up despite their limitations for their Country when their Country needed them.

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

I have survived poverty, childhood abuse and trauma, homelessness, and domestic violence all while earning an education with multiple undiagnosed mental disabilities.

I was diagnosed at 34 with Autism Spectrum Disorder, PTSD, and CPTSD.

I understand struggle. I understand hardship.

I want to do all I can to prevent others from going through pain that I have lived through.

And the most efficient means of doing that is sponsoring original legislation in the Senate and whipping the votes to get it passed.

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

In this order:

Climate change

Disinformation management

Putin

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

The U.S. Senate is the chamber of Great Debate designed to be the last safeguard of legislation before going on to the President.

It's been too long since the Senate actually debated.

The filibuster must be revised, talking must be mandatory, and the responsibility should be on the minority to hold the filibuster, rather than the majority to break it.

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

I think it's actually detrimental at this point to have previous experience in government or politics.

The 21st century has problems unique to the 21st century and much of the government is still holding a 20th century mindset.

We need new ideas and perspectives.

What do you think of the filibuster?

Make. Them. Talk.

And make them *hold*.

Use Al Franken's idea of making it so that they have to 40-45 votes to *maintain* the filibuster rather than 60 to end it.

What criteria would you apply when deciding whether to confirm presidential appointees?

Experience with the duties of the position, ideology, and public opinion.

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

Intelligence

Energy and Natural Resources
Appropriations
Armed Services
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Budget
Veterans' Affairs

Finance

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

I'm not sure if there has been a Senator in the past or present that has dealt with the unique situations 2021 has to offer - from pandemic relief and pre-pandemic preparation for the next one, to disinformation management, to sitting seditionists in the House and Senate.

We need someone new who sees the big picture.

How would you evaluate a judicial nominee?

Past rulings, written briefs, public opinion, and endorsements (or lack thereof).

What kind of relationships would you build with other senators?

If I elected, I am on the People's time. I'm going to be working with my colleagues no matter the letter behind their name to make the Senate a functioning body once more.

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

Depends on the compromise.

When both Parties are acting in good faith? Yes.

When one Party is actively obstructing for the sake of obstruction? No.

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.

External links

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Candidate

U.S. Senate Missouri

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Email communication with Ronald Deets on September 20, 2021
↑ Email communication with Ronald Deets on November 30, 2021
↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 1, 2021

[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)

[1] Email communication with Ronald Deets on September 20, 2021

[2] Email communication with Ronald Deets on November 30, 2021

[bio-3] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 1, 2021

[1]

[2]

[3]

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Ronald Deets

Contents

Biography

Elections

2022

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Missouri

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Missouri

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Missouri

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Constitution primary election

Constitution primary for U.S. Senate Missouri

Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate Missouri

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

Services

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