Who represents Phelps County in Jefferson City will be changing under a newly approved redistricting plan for the Missouri House of Representatives. Instead of being split across four separate districts, there will now be two, including one exclusively within the county’s borders. Moreover, the Phelps County-only seat will be an open seat for new candidates.
The new House District 122 will include Rolla, St. James and the northern panhandle of Phelps County. Who will represent it will be determined by this year’s primary and general elections.
State Rep. Jason Chipman (R-Steelville) previously represented the St. James area in District 120. However, he is term-limited from running for office again. As a resident of Crawford County his residence is also no longer included in the district.
State Rep. Don Mayhew (R-Crocker) represented Rolla in District 121, which then included northern Pulaski County. However, District 121 is now exclusively within Pulaski County including the Waynesville, St. Robert and Fort Leonard Wood area. Mayhew’s Crocker home and the Pulaski County communities of Dixon and Richland are now in District 124 with most of Miller County.
The old House District 122 existed within Pulaski County. It’s incumbent, State Rep. Bill Hardwick (R-Waynesville), is now in the new District 121.
The new House District 143 will include the Jerome/Newburg/Doolittle area, Edgar Springs and western Phelps County as well as the entirety of Maries County and Texas County. State Rep. Bennie Cook (R-Houston) is the district’s incumbent.
Under the previous election arrangement all four of Phelps County’s district representatives lived outside of the county’s borders. Other than Cook, Chipman, and Mayhew; State Rep. Bruce Sassman (R-Bland) represented northern Phelps County in District 62, which then included several other northern counties. That area is now split between either the new District 122 or District 143.
In the wider area, Gasconade County will be staying with Sassman in the new District 61, along with Osage and most of Mongomery County. Crawford County will be paired with Dent County in the new District 120, whose incumbent is currently State Rep. Ron Copeland (R-Salem).
Copeland told Phelps County Focus Wednesday that under the old district boundaries he was the state representative living closest to Phelps County, despite it not being in his district.
“The open seat in Phelps County is probably going to bring a whole lot of interest,” Copeland said. “As part of the redistricting, if you had 37,000 people in your county you got at least one full representative for that county. That was part of their guidelines, that way they couldn't divide Phelps County again.”
Copeland added the state senate did not come to agreement on its new district boundaries, but that Phelps County is not expected to see any changes for either the 16th District or State Sen. Justin Brown (R-Rolla). Phelps County is also expected to remain in the Eighth Congressional District represented by Rep. Jason Smith (R-Salem).
