Josh Smead

Josh Smead

Democratic Party

Candidate, U.S. House Missouri District 6

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 3, 2026

Education

High school

Harrisonburg High School

Bachelor's

James Madison University, 2012

Graduate

Iowa State University, 2016

Personal

Profession

Architect

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign YouTube

Personal X

Josh Smead (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Missouri's 6th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.^[source]

Smead completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Josh Smead graduated from Harrisonburg High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from James Madison University in 2012 and a graduate degree from Iowa State University in 2016. His career experience includes working as an architect and general contractor.

Elections

2026

See also: Missouri's 6th Congressional District election, 2026

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 6

Incumbent Sam Graves, Matthew Levine, Josh Smead, Jim Ingram, and Gena Ross are running in the general election for U.S. House Missouri District 6 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Sam Graves (R)
		Matthew Levine (D)
		Josh Smead (D)
		Jim Ingram (R)
		Gena Ross (R)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Endorsements

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Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Josh Smead completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Smead's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m Josh Smead, a father of four, licensed architect, and small business owner from Liberty, Missouri. My wife and I run a local architecture and development firm, and we’re raising our family with a deep commitment to building a better future. I’m not a career politician—I’m running for Congress to bring practical solutions and common sense to Washington. Rural North Missouri used to be more populated and economically vibrant; today, it needs revitalization. I believe in making rural America the best place to raise a family again, with strong infrastructure, thriving small towns, and opportunities that last for generations.

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?

• Family Everything I do is grounded in my role as a father of four. I believe Missouri should be the best place in the country to raise a family. That starts with safe communities, strong schools, affordable healthcare, and local economies that work for everyday people—not just the coasts or the corporations. When we put families first, we lay the foundation for a stronger, more united America.
• Liberty As a small business owner and architect, I’ve seen firsthand how red tape and federal overreach can choke opportunity. Liberty means more than a slogan—it’s the right to build a life with dignity, to speak freely, work honestly, and live without government standing in your way. I’ll fight for term limits, defend the Constitution, and make sure Washington works for the people again.
• Future North Missouri once thrived—more people, more energy, more opportunity. We can get there again, but it takes vision. That means revitalizing our rural towns, investing in modern infrastructure, and making sure our kids grow up with every chance to succeed. I’m running because we owe the next generation more than declining towns and broken promises—we owe them a future worth staying for.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I’m deeply passionate about public policies that secure a better future for the next generation while honoring the generations that built this country. As a father and a builder, I see both the promise ahead and the urgent need to care for those who came before us. We must ensure our children inherit a nation with strong schools, safe communities, and lasting opportunity—and that our seniors live with dignity, support, and respect.

As an architect, my personal expertise lies in buildings and infrastructure. From crumbling schools, roads, and bridges to outdated infrastructure, northern Missouri’s built environment needs more than patchwork fixes—it needs a generational investment in quality, sustainability, and resilience. The recent in

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

Integrity, Term Limits, and listening to the People.

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

If I set my mind to a task, I seek to achieve it.

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

The purpose of the House is to be the most responsive branch of government for the People!

What legacy would you like to leave?

I hope some day when my children or (possible) future grand children ask what I did during this time of turmoil and uncertainty in our world, I will tell them running for Congress is how I tried to make the biggest impact. I want to leave the world a better place.

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

I was in 6th grade during 9/11, not a fun day at school!

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

My first job was at 15 working at a McDonalds.

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

If I Can Dream - Elvis Presley

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

No, the purpose of our Democracy is that it is run by the People. New voices, fresh perspectives, and a new generation of leaders are needed in Washington more now than perhaps ever before. The Constitution clearly states the age limits for running for office, which is 25 years old for the House (I was born in 1990).

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

Income Inequality, imperial hostile foreign powers, balancing the budget, natural disasters

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

Yes, but term limits are needed to prevent these long-term careers.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Term limits are necessary and long overdue. The House of Representatives is not a career path, we need responsive government that is in touch with the People.

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

I have been studying and have found a great deal of respect for the late Jerry Litton, former Representative from Missouri's 6th District. His method of bringing Democracy to the People through his town halls (many which can be seen now on YouTube) is incredibly inspiring, and I would like to believe we can all strive to achieve a similar level of dialogue and transparency with our government.

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?

When I first started getting organized with my campaign, one of the first people I heard from was a man who is a Veteran and had just been fired from his job at the VA. Literally a Veteran helping Veterans, and he was fired because the Trump administration decided to mass fire and cut services for the men and women who made the sacrifice to serve in the Military. I cannot understand why we are cutting jobs and services for Veterans, all to pay for a tax cut for the billionaires.

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

Yes, it is often necessary for lasting policy.

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?

The overreaching Executive branch needs to be placed back in line with the language of the Constitution. We the People deserve a Representative who understands the importance of our Constitution and has loyalty to Country over political party.

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

The House needs to be investigating clear unconstitutional violations of the Separation of Powers for our Three Co-Equal branches of Government. The purpose of investigating power in the House is not to tear down political foes, but to examine and shine light on important topics for the American people. A shining example of the House using bipartisan investigations to bring important issues to the American people is the January 6th Committee and their informative and successful hearings.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Highly important and always will be. Following a trail of money leads to a lot of important answers!

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 finance summary

Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from the Federal Elections Commission. That information will be published here once it is available.

See also

2026 Elections

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Candidate

U.S. House Missouri District 6

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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)