Get to know: Josh Smead, Democratic Primary Candidate for U.S. Representative District 6

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- Josh Smead, who runs an architecture business with his wife, is a hopeful for U.S. Representative District 6 for Missouri.

Smead and his wife began calling the Liberty, Missouri, area home in 2017 after falling in love with the architectural opportunities in the Midwest.

"Kansas City has an amazing architecture industry," Smead said. "I worked in sports architecture for quite a while in Kansas City, working on NFL projects, NBA arenas, very large-scale master plans."

He originally hails from Harrisonburg, Virginia; however, he chose the Kansas City area after meeting his wife in college and settling on a central location. Smead has planted new roots in Missouri and finds passion in fighting for the ideals of the state's citizens.

"I'm very much a 'be the change' person, and if we're unhappy with the way the world is and the way our leadership is, throw your hat in the ring," Smead shared. "Try it out and try and fix it because I don't want to leave some of these larger issues to my children to have to deal with as well."

Smead, like others in the race, is listening to the worries of some Missourians about the visibility of officials elected to Washington, D.C., still appearing to their constituents.

"We, the people, especially in north Missouri, don't have a representative in Congress who's able to be a check on the power of the White House. Sam Graves has been in since (the early 2000's). Just turned himself essentially into a rubber stamp. He has not had a town hall in over 10 years. So I was really feeling like the people of North Missouri did not have a voice."

Smead will be up against two other Democrats in the Aug. 4 primary. Scot Pondelick and Matt Levine, both out of Kansas City, are also in the race. To learn more about Smead and his campaign, click here.