The Jefferson Review Voters Guide

Special Edition

The Jefferson Review Voters Guide is designed to help voters hear directly from the candidates seeking to represent Jefferson County. Candidate answers are published as submitted so readers can compare responses in each race.

Editor’s Note: Candidate responses are not endorsements by The Jefferson Review. Answers are provided by the candidates and are shared for voter information.

Jeff Abney

Political Party Affiliation: Democrat

Brief Candidate Biography

My name is Jeff Abney, and my family has deep roots in Jefferson County. I grew up in Fenton, attended Murphy Elementary, North Jefferson, and both Northwests, and I am proud to call this community my home.

My family is reflective of the hard-working people of this county. From lifelong union workers at the GM plant, tellers at Eagle Bank in Cedar Hill, or the half dozen nurses that have taken care of the people of this county. Including my own mother who raised her children as a single nurse. I come from a family of nurses, teachers, and blue-collar workers that worked hard to take care of their neighbors and believed in personal responsibility and service.

I bring a lifetime of service to the race. From being a volunteer football coach for 8th graders, assisting the elderly with social security benefits, helping veterans receive the benefits they are entitled to, testifying in front of state legislatures to overturn antiquated laws that unfairly target low-income individuals, winning community service awards while in law school, or serving six years as an active-duty Sergeant in the United States Army.

Why are you running for this office?

I’m running for State Senate to bring real solutions and real accountability to District 22. I will focus on public engagement, come to common-sense solutions, and measure every vote by one simple question: does this help the people of my district?

More importantly, I intend to make sure our taxes come back to our community to support us.

What experience best prepares you to serve in this role?

I know how to draft and interpret statutes, I have actively advocated for my clients in high stakes situations, and as a veteran I am used to selflessly serving.

What do you believe is the most important issue facing Jefferson County right now?

Affordability of housing, healthcare, childcare, education, groceries, fuel, and essentially every single aspect of our lives getting more expensive.

How would you balance the needs of your district with broader statewide legislative priorities?

The priorities are one and the same. The district is just a microcosm of the state and fixing statewide or district issues will help the other.

What specific legislation would you like to sponsor or support during your first term or next term?

Fully funding our public school systems. Fully funding our fire fighters and law enforcement retirement health insurance plans. Creating ways to lower the cost of childcare. Creating legislation that would end corporate donations in politics. Create legislation that would ban hedge funds from owning real estate and driving up the costs of housing.

How should Missouri address rising costs for families and seniors, including housing, utilities, groceries, insurance, and taxes?

In a perfect world health insurance would not need to exist because it would be cheaper to fund universal healthcare. But absent that, the best way to reign in insurance companies is regulate them. Every person is required to have health insurance by law, yet the health insurance companies are for profit. A hard cap that of 5% annual profit after costs for each company would immediately drive down the costs. You then cap the CEO salaries and bonuses to further drive down costs.

To help with housing you ban hedge funds from owning and buying real estate.

Taxes do not need to be increased and I would like to change the property tax valuation system to stop reflecting unrealized gains. The cost of the house at purchase should be the valuation until it is sold.

Utilities and grocery costs can be lowered by breaking up the regional monopolies.

What role should state government play in supporting public safety, law enforcement, and crime victims?

It is the government's job to fund law enforcement and dictate what their role is. Their primary role should be supporting public safety. Crime victims would best be supported by government prosecuting crimes within the statutory boundaries of the law.

How would you protect local control while also ensuring state laws are applied fairly across Missouri?

Is local control in danger? I would protect it by simply not advocating for policies that erode the local governments.

What are your views on school choice legislation in Missouri?

School choice is a literal theft of tax payer funds to support private schools. If there is no equal access to the private institution then they should receive zero funds from the public. If they are not held to the same standards as a public school then they should receive zero funds.

Being a private school is a choice. They are for profit. They pick their business model. If this does not include a profitability standard, they are failing as a business and should be allowed to fail.

If you are a private citizen and CHOOSE to go to a private school rather than public school, that is your right and your choice. You then live with the choices that come with that. It has been proven time and time again that what happens is those public funds do not suddenly allow more students to attend private schools, it allows the private school students already attending to get a tuition break. This then leaves giant financial holes in the public school budgets.

What transportation, road, or infrastructure concerns in Jefferson County should receive more attention from the state?

Highway 55 has been under construction almost my entire life. This cannot be financially beneficial to anyone. I also would not mind a bridge connecting Illinois to Missouri at Festus or Imperial. This would save a lot of people commuting time.

Would you support legislation for a taxpayer Bill of Rights? Why or why not?

These bill of rights do as much harm as good. They give the ability to control government growth but it stifles essential public services. The government you elect should be competent and capable of budgeting taxes accordingly. The need for a taxpayer bill of rights is more a reflection on poor leadership than anything else.

Do you support or oppose Right to Work legislation in Missouri? Why?

Absolutely oppose. They weaken labor unions and reduce the overall bargaining power of workers.

Federal law already makes it illegal to force someone to join a union. What these laws really do is weaken workers’ ability to act collectively by allowing some employees to benefit from union representation without contributing to the costs of negotiating contracts, enforcing workplace protections, or maintaining training and safety standards. “Right to Work” laws shift the balance of power away from workers and make it harder for unions to effectively advocate for fair wages, benefits, and safe working conditions. By many measures, quality of life is worse in states with right to work laws.

On average, a worker’s pay drops by 3.1% when “Right to Work” laws are passed.

In 2024, the average wage in “Right to Work” states was $11,275 a year (17.6%) less than in other states ($75,216, compared with $63,982).

In 2023, The average median household income in states with these laws was $13,277 (18.8%) less than in other states ($83,880 vs. $70,604)

What is your opinion on work requirements for Medicaid or other public assistance programs?

The vast majority of Medicaid enrollees who can work are already employed. Instead of boosting employment, these policies primarily result in mass coverage losses due to bureaucratic red tape, harming individuals with serious health conditions

Many enrollees work in industries with fluctuating hours (like agriculture or service), meaning they may lose coverage in months they fall short of hourly thresholds despite working.

The bottom line is these are safety nets. Let them be safety nets. If a few take advantage of it, I do not care. As long as most people on assistance need it.

How will you stay accessible and accountable to constituents after the election?

I intend to answer any real email about concerns that come my way.

Why should voters choose you for this role?

I am taking zero money from corporations. I am trying to be a senator that actually is the voice of his district. You will never see me vote for a policy I think will hurt our district.

Voters Guide Notice: This candidate profile is not a paid advertisement. Candidate responses are published as part of The Jefferson Review Candidate Voter Guide and are presented in the candidate’s own words.

The opinions and statements expressed above are solely those of the candidate or campaign and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Jefferson Review, its staff, sponsors, or partners. Publication of a candidate response does not constitute an endorsement.

Candidate responses were submitted through The Jefferson Review Candidate Voter Guide questionnaire. Responses are presented in the candidate’s own words and have not been rewritten by The Jefferson Review. Formatting may be adjusted for spacing, readability, or display.

Questionnaire Note: Candidates were invited to respond to the same questionnaire for this office. If a question was left blank, The Jefferson Review may mark that answer as “No response provided.”

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