As the 2024 election season heats up, the call for fair and balanced representation becomes louder every day. That’s why it’s exciting to hear a woman’s voice rising in America’s heartland. A voice that advocates for equality and support of working-class Americans.
Her voice is not new. Crystal Quade currently serves as Minority Leader in the Missouri House of Representatives, representing the 132nd district. Elected to the House in 2016, Crystal is working to fill the gaps where government is failing to support middle America, as she enters the race to become the first female governor of Missouri.
Crystal lived the rural-urban divide, growing up in rural Missouri in what she describes was a challenging family environment. Crystal said she was fortunate when her mother remarried and she had the stability to become the first in her family to graduate high school, then attend Missouri State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in social work. Her experiences are intertwined with a deep understanding of the everyday struggles of working-class families which fuels her desire to be an agent of change and help families with their everyday struggles. Families like the one she grew up in.
Her experience in the Missouri House has taught her the dire need for balance where the parties can work together to set priorities that serve the people of Missouri. As Governor, Crystal says that her job would be to work with everyone to pass laws that support the people, listing health care, education, and reproductive rights as top priorities.
The statistics for Missouri are startling in these areas:
- Missouri ranks 49th in teacher pay for public schools.
- Many small towns would disappear without financial support for public schools.
- Missouri delayed its support for Medicaid for so long that 19 rural hospitals had to close due to physician shortages.
- Missouri ban on abortions is nearly complete with no exceptions for incest or rape.
Crystal speaks passionately about the government overreach, especially with regard to personal health decisions, which for many is an issue that transcends politics. She said, “I was in the legislature when the ban was put in place and that allowed for the triggers as soon as Roe fell to take away all of women’s reproductive rights,” she notes. “I talked to a lot of people all over the state. I knocked on doors. I talked to voters. And folks, regardless of political affiliation, are continuously saying to me, this is too much. This is government overreach gone too far.”
With a clear vision of the role of government in service to its people, she says, “The priorities are a mess. That’s why I got involved in government to begin with, to provide that voice that I felt like was missing from the conversation. And that’s why I want be governor, because Missouri deserves somebody who is putting its people first.”
As she seeks to influence what seem like monumental shifts in the direction of her state, Crystal recognizes she cannot do it alone. Her approach to governance has always been steeped in bipartisanship. She believes in working together to find solutions to the state’s most pressing issues, be it healthcare, education, or economic development. Her success in passing legislation, despite being in the minority, demonstrates her ability to unite different perspectives for the common good.
Listen or watch this conversation for more of Crystal’s inspiring story and to hear more of how she would work for Missouri. Visit www.CrystalQuade.com to learn more about Crystal’s campaign to become Missouri’s first female governor and her stand on the pressing issues facing the state.
Listen on Red Circle | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Watch on YouTube