Over 150 people braved rainy weather to join Dr. Dan Brown, Rolla area veterinarian and state representative, Sunday afternoon as he announced he would be seeking to unseat incumbent Democrat State Senator Frank Barnitz this November.
Brown, a Republican, said the decision, although not easy, was the right one.
“After many conversations with friends and family, I have decided to run for the Senate,” he said. “This decision was not easy, but after a lot of thought and prayer, I know it is the right one.
“The fact remains that the people of the 16th are represented in the House by seven conservative Republicans including myself. It is time we bring that type of conservative leadership to the Missouri Senate.”
Brown said that he will be the same legislator whether he is in the district or the capitol.
"In a time when it seems politicians say one thing at home in the coffee shop and then another in the Capitol with their vote, I want people to know where I stand on issues, and that my stand is rock solid," he said.
Representative David Day, a Dixon Republican and chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, introduced Brown and echoed that notion.
“I’ve known Dan a long time now,” said Day. “Dan is one of the hardest working members we have in the house,” he said. “His values do not change like so many do, he is the same man no matter where he is”.
Day also cited Brown’s dedication to his work as a state representative.
“I have never seen anyone work harder in the capitol for his constituents, and he will take that same work ethic to the Missouri Senate if elected,” he said.
Day has become what the campaign describes as “the first of many” local, state and federal leaders who will be endorsing Brown’s candidacy.
Brown said his No. 1 priority in the House will be the same in the Senate: creating good jobs and growing the economy of rural Missouri.
“We are hurting in rural Missouri,” he said. “Missouri is losing jobs to surrounding states and new jobs pass us by everyday. It’s time for the people of this district to be aggressively represented by someone who will move legislation forward to grow the economy and create jobs in the 16th district.”
Brown cited government spending is a major concern as well.
“The State of Missouri needs to learn to live within a budget, just as we all do in our families and businesses,” he said. “When times are rough, we tighten our belts and the government should do the same.”
Brown, a member the First Christian Church in Rolla, is a lifetime member of the NRA, and a Phelps County rancher also told the crowd he was “100 percent Pro-Life, Pro-Gun, and Pro-Small Business.”
