Guide to the Republican ballot for Missouri’s 4th District Congressional race

By Kathy Feist

In an effort to add Republican seats in Congress, Kansas City was split from one district into three, with boundaries now going deep into rural territory. The 4th District, represented by Mark Alford, goes as far north as the Missouri River and travels south almost to Springfield. Its east-west boundaries are the state line to Troost Ave. in Kansas City. Alford is being challenged by two Republicans. Seven Democrats vie for the position of challenger in the General Election. 

Mark Alford

Mark Alford had been a popular morning news anchor for WDAF-Fox4 in Kansas City for 23 years. His funny antics on the show and quick wit led to a celebrity status in the region. But in 2021 he left his job to run for U.S. Congress in the 4th District. In 2022, he won the election and became a US Congressman from Raymore. 

Alford was unable to meet our requests for an interview in time for publication. His platform, according to his website, is to support pro life, reduce reckless spending and get the economy back on track, protect the right to bear guns, fight efforts to defund the police, ensure that education is handled by the states, protect farmers from EPA over regulation, implement term limits and secure the border. 

Recently Mark Alford secured $18 million in federal grant money for highway and freight infrastructure in Belton. The funding will help connect Markey Parkway and the Markey Business Park to I-49/Highway 71. 

Heather Shelton

Heather Shelton says she is not running against someone; she is running for what the Congressional seat stands for: hold the executive branch accountable, protect the separation of powers and be transparent with the public.

Shelton grew up in a household that often traveled to different cities. When she landed in Belton, she chose to stay. She received a degree in business administration and a masters in business management. She is a mother of three, has a real estate license, and has served on the Belton Charter Review. 

The reason Shelton is running for office (not against a candidate) is to 

Shelton says the U.S. is “insolvent as a nation” and fiscally bankrupt, with unsustainable interest on the national debt. “We owe around $6 billion a day just in interest. Think about the amount of personal debt each American citizen carries because of its responsibility to an insolvent government.” 

Shelton strongly supports the military but is not in favor of war. She remains skeptical of the official narrative about the current war with Iran and believes Congressional oversight should be enforced.

While Shelton believes every person in the US should be documented, she says the immigration policy should also have clear, linear pathways to citizenship. She is in favor of strong border control and humane treatment.

On education, she is skeptical of voucher systems which she says can strip resources from the schools serving the most vulnerable children. 

Shelton says she is “very pro-life,” but also believes in bodily autonomy.  “I don’t think the government should have any place in our bodies, on our bodies, around our bodies, whatsoever.”

Shelton believes it’s important to have open discussions on all issues, especially the difficult and ugly ones. “The fear that exists in people is heartbreaking.”

Scott Vincent Vera

 Scott Vincent Vera has very little presence in this campaign beyond a website outlining the America First platform which promotes nationalism. 

Vera lives on the Country Club Plaza and according to his website is an “America First Christian.”  His platform “starts with the Constitution, the dignity of life, and the belief that government should serve citizens before foreign interests, lobbyists, and permanent bureaucracy.”

Vera’s core pledges are no wars, no foreign aid waste, no funding for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO). He is pro-life, securing the borders and funding social security.  

A background check shows that a Scott Vincent Vera is from Yonkers, NY, attended University of Buffalo with a minor in political science and recently moved from Texarkana (this has not been verified).   Vera did not respond to our attempts for an interview.