Missouri’s 8th Congressional District
Tommy was born and raised in Missouri’s 8th congressional district. Missouri’s 8th district comprises 28 largely rural counties in southern Missouri.
This district is visually stunning and blessed with a true wealth of natural resources, some of the nation’s top deer and turkey hunting terrain as well as a true wealth of spring fed trout streams. This is a district for those that love the outdoors with hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails.
The 8th has vast lead and zinc deposits, an extensive national forest and some of the most productive farm land in the country. It is home to a huge variety of crops and is a leading producer of hogs and cattle. The district is also home to two public universities. Southeast Missouri State, located in Cape Girardeau, MO has over 10,000 graduate and undergraduate students. The Missouri University of Science and Technology, formerly University of Missouri at Rolla, is one of the top engineering universities in the nation. Over 70,000 veterans call this district home.
This is the show-me part of the Show-Me state. This district tends to vote for the person before the party, with 57% Democratic officials at the county level and below.
Despite being blessed with an abundance of resources and some of the hardest working people in the nation, the district is the poorest in Missouri and one of the 10 poorest in the United States. One in every four children is born under the poverty line. The median income for women is the lowest out of all 435 districts. It is in the bottom 10-15% in terms of health and primary care facilities and access to education. Over the last few decades, the district has suffered as jobs have been lost, factories close and farms are consolidated. The people of the 8th deserve a true fighter, who represents their interests and will fight every day for their homes, their future and their way of life.
