Local candidates go head-to-head for Missouri House District 10 seat, focus on education and community needs  

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)-- Two candidates are going head-to-head for Missouri House District 10 in the upcoming midterm election. 

Democrat LaTonya Williams and Republican Paul Gatewood are both hoping to fill the seat currently held by Bill Falkner, who is unable to run again because of term limits. 

Williams, who serves on the St. Joseph School District Board of Education, said there are several issues facing the community that deserve attention. 

“If you look at the gas prices or the prices of the groceries or even the prices of medical care, I mean it is hard and what you're making is not matching what you put out,” she said.  

Public education is another major priority for her. As a school board member, Williams said she sees firsthand some of the challenges facing local schools. 

She also believes smaller communities like St. Joseph are often expected to do a lot with limited resources. 

Williams said the community has plenty of opportunities, but not everyone has the same access to them.  

“I am a product of the community. I worked at non-profit agencies and was extremely underpaid with no insurance. I have debt; those are the bad things about me, but look at the good things,” she said.   

On the Republican side, Gatewood said giving back to the community has always been important to him. 

He's been involved with several local organizations over the years, eventually taking on leadership roles that brought him closer to local and state lawmakers. 

Gatewood said he has spent years traveling to Jefferson City and working with legislators to address issues affecting the community. Those experiences helped lead him to run for office.   

“Whether it has to do with laws or if it has to do with finances or whatever. So for many years I have thought about doing this, and now the timing's is right,” he said.   

Education is also on Gatewood's list of priorities. He said he wants to support the school district and believes teachers are already doing good work but could do even more with additional resources. 

He said he supports families having different educational options, including both public and private schools.   

“I am not opposed to any type of school, whether it's public or private. I raised my kids in public schools, and one reason was that I couldn’t afford private school for all eight kids,” he joked.   

Gatewood also said staying connected with voters is important to understanding what people in the district need and how he can best represent them. 

Both candidates are hoping to take over House District 10 from Falkner, who is leaving office due to term limits. Falkner is running unopposed for a seat as the Buchanan County Presiding Commissioner.