Shereka Barnes looks to bring ‘Lived Experience’ to Jefferson City in Senate District 34 Race

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- Shereka Barnes is the Democratic candidate for Missouri Senate District 34 after she won the Democratic primary in August.

She now faces Republican Mike Jones, a current state representative, in the November general election.

Barnes currently serves her second term on the Park Hill School Board.

She's a former educator and has worked in nonprofit healthcare for over 15 years.

She said her decision to run comes from a lifetime of lived experience, not politics.

"I'm running for this position because of lived experiences," Barnes said. "I am a single mom who's raised two daughters. I understand what it is to live paycheck to paycheck. I've been a single mom who's an educator and worked a second job. And I think that we just need some people who have had those kind of situations down in Jeff City."

Barnes speaks often about her personal connection to the policies she wants to champion.

She said without Medicaid, her children would not have had healthcare, and one of her daughters would not have been able to afford a $400 EpiPen.

She now helps families navigate the healthcare system every day through her work in nonprofit healthcare.

"People shouldn't have to decide between their health and paying a medical bill or paying their utility bill," she said. "We need somebody in Jeff City who's lived those experiences and had to make those decisions, not just read it on a piece of paper."

One of her top healthcare priorities is capping insulin costs at $100.

She points out that over 30 states have already passed similar measures, and she believes Missouri should follow suit.

Barnes also cites the rising cost of living as a major concern for voters in her district.

She points to high gas and diesel prices, rising grocery costs, and the burden on farmers.

"People are not happy right now," she said. "Prices of gas and diesel is high. Groceries are high. Farmers are upset about all these things. Your health care premiums (are) going to go up about 20%, but you may get a work raise that's only 1 or 2%."

Barnes also speaks from personal experience about the state's childcare crisis, having worked overnights and survived on three hours of sleep when her children were younger because she couldn't find childcare.

"We are a child care desert in our state," she said. "You want people to have better jobs, but you can't have a better job if you don't have anyone to keep your kids."

Since winning the primary, Barnes said she's been focused on door-to-door canvassing and attending community events.

Barnes recently reported that several of her large campaign signs had been taken down or cut.

She said she had permission to place the signs and is disappointed that someone would target property paid for by campaign donors.

"I just would like to tell people that you can have your opinions and whoever you want to vote for, but let's just be better with that with each other," she said. "Regular people gave donations to put those signs up. I just feel like that's disrespectful to those people."

When asked why voters should choose her in November, Barnes said she's a regular person who understands the struggles of everyday Missourians.

"We need people in Jeff City who are just regular people who have done regular things, who understand the day-to-day that everybody has gone through," she said. "I just don't think there's enough regular people down there, and sometimes that's forgotten in this process."

Shereka Barnes will face Republican Mike Jones on the November ballot.