BOLIVAR, Mo. — In Bolivar, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who isn't excited that Gov. Mike Parson will retain his seat for four more years.
A day after Parson won Missouri's gubernatorial race, 41 Action News spoke with people in the city of 10,000 about what they would like to see him accomplish during his first full term in the office.
Parson says he knows the pulse of the state, being from Hickory and Polk counties. He grew up on a farm in Hickory County and owns a cattle operation outside Bolivar.
"That work ethic I learned on the farm from my mom and dad: how to be a good neighbor, how to respect all people," Parson said in his speech on Tuesday night. "And I've took those values all the way through my life to be able to be the governor of the state of Missouri."
In Polk and Hickory counties — and the majority of the state — Parson overwhelmingly won the vote.
His Democratic challenger, Nicole Galloway, only won the majority of the vote in Jackson, Boone and St. Louis counties, which are home to the larger metropolitan cities of Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis.
"I just hope he keeps pushing toward the economy and they find a cure for the coronavirus and just kind of get things moving along again," said Jeff Garrett, a Humansville resident.
Economy is big on people's minds, along with COVID-19 and the best approach to combat it.
"I think that's one of the areas I think he's done a good job of is letting municipalities and county health departments make decisions locally," said Rob Ross, owner of Peddler's Post pawn shop in Bolivar.
Parson has said multiple times he will continue to do that and not enact a statewide mask mandate, something he's been criticized for throughout the pandemic.
"Local municipalities, local commissioners have the best interest for their counties at mind, so as a governor his job is to support and find ways to encourage those to make the best choice for their citizens," Ross said.
Carrie Peterson, a Halfway resident, said she believes Parson knows what's going on in the state.
Peterson said she wants "sensible government, less taxes, less control from the outside."
Parson touched on those exact issues on Tuesday night at his watch party in Springfield.
"I believe people believe in common sense. I believe they want leaders that believe in common sense," Parson said. "They don't want government to tell them what to do every day. They want to live their lives in peace."
Those words garnered many cheers from the packed audience.
"This election was about preserving freedom, capitalism and the rule of law," Parson said. "However, there is more work to be done. And that work starts tomorrow."
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41 Action News is committed to providing comprehensive information on the 2020 primary and general elections with an emphasis on several key issues — the economy, the COVID-19 pandemic and race relations. Count on us to provide news and information to help you make an informed choice at the polls.