Clay County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
16 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 9 Clay County races, led by the Presiding Commissioner contest; 1 more race was decided at the primary.
County offices
Presiding CommissionerNonpartisan race · Jerry Nolte · Jennifer Justus
Jerry Nolte and Jennifer Justus are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Presiding Commissioner.
Jerry Nolte Nonpartisan Incumbent
- Beginning the design of a new county jail
- Supporting law enforcement and improving infrastructure
- Continuing to lower taxes, including the senior property tax credit
Per the Kansas City Star.
About Jerry Nolte
A lifelong Clay County resident first elected to the Missouri House in 2004 and elected presiding commissioner in 2014, per the Kansas City Star. He describes this as his final term. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Jennifer Justus Nonpartisan
- Connecting housing and development to workforce growth
- Public safety
- School enrollment and neighborhood stability
Per the Kansas City Star.
About Jennifer Justus
A realtor and CEO of Dream Properties Real Estate for over 26 years, per the Kansas City Star, which also reports she chairs the Legacy Fund for the City of Smithville and sits on the Beacon Mental Health board. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
August 4 primary result: Jennifer Justus (43.5 percent) and Jerry Nolte (35.6 percent) advanced to the November 3 ballot over Jay Swearingen (20.9 percent), per the official results. Incumbent Jerry Nolte faces two challengers, per the Kansas City Star.
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Clay County is split across 7 Missouri House districts.
Find your districts by addressMissouri House: 7 districtsDistricts 8, 15, 16, 17, 18, 38, 39
Missouri House District 8Josh Hurlbert (R) · Amy Minich (D)
Josh Hurlbert Republican Incumbent
- Opposition to Amendment 3
Per the campaign site.
About Josh Hurlbert
Josh Hurlbert worked for U.S. Representative Sam Graves for 11 years handling constituent services, per his campaign website. He was elected to the Smithville, Missouri Board of Aldermen in 2018 and represents Missouri House District 8.
Amy Minich Democratic
- Protecting every worker's right to a living wage and fair treatment on the job
- Ensuring clean air, clean water and environmental protection for the district
- Expanding opportunity through public education
Per the campaign site.
About Amy Minich
Amy Minich works for UAW Local 249, where she began in 2014 and has led community outreach and door-to-door voter engagement across Clay and Ray counties, per The Labor Beacon. She was born and raised in Missouri's 8th District and lives in Lawson, per her campaign site.
Josh Hurlbert (Republican), Amy Minich (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Josh Hurlbert is the sitting member per the House roster. Missouri has no runoffs; the August 4 primary winner of each party is the nominee, and unopposed nominees still print. The field is the Missouri Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list (certified August 25, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageMissouri House District 15Kenneth Jamison (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Kenneth Jamison Democratic Incumbent
Kenneth Jamison is a practicing attorney and U.S. Marine Corps veteran who earned his law degree from the University of Missouri in 2016, per his official Missouri House biography. He has represented part of Clay County in the Missouri House since his election in 2024 and serves on the Children and Families, Judiciary, Local Government, and Veterans and Armed Forces committees. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Kenneth Jamison (Democratic) is the only nominee on the November 3 ballot; Kenneth Jamison is the sitting member per the House roster. Missouri has no runoffs; the August 4 primary winner of each party is the nominee, and unopposed nominees still print. The field is the Missouri Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list (certified August 25, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageMissouri House District 16Chris Brown (R) · Dan Kinate (D)
Chris Brown Republican Incumbent
Chris Brown taught Advanced Placement Government, Politics and United States History for 32 years in the North Kansas City School District before his election to the Missouri House, per his official House biography. He is a licensed realtor who co-owns a family real-estate business specializing in residential sales and property management, and he previously coached football and wrestling. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Dan Kinate Democratic
- Improve affordability and opportunity for Northland families and seniors
Per the campaign site.
About Dan Kinate
Dan Kinate is a retired electrician who has lived in the Kansas City Northland his entire life, per his campaign website. He and his wife, a retired North Kansas City School District educator, raised four sons in the district, and he is campaigning on affordability for families and seniors.
Chris Brown (Republican), Dan Kinate (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Chris Brown is the sitting member per the House roster. Missouri has no runoffs; the August 4 primary winner of each party is the nominee, and unopposed nominees still print. The field is the Missouri Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list (certified August 25, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageMissouri House District 17Bill Allen (R) · Susan Hoisington (D)
Bill Allen Republican Incumbent
Bill Allen is a retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander who served nearly 26 years in the Navy before building a career in higher education as a professor, dean, provost and vice chancellor, per his official Missouri House biography. He also served as a federal Job Corps Center director and holds a Ph.D. in management from Capella University. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Susan Hoisington Democratic
- Public education funding and fair pay for teachers
- Workers' rights and healthcare access
Per the campaign site.
About Susan Hoisington
Susan Hoisington is retired after nearly three decades in public education, working as a teacher, instructional leader and district administrator, most recently for a Texas school district until 2022 before she moved to the Kansas City area, per local news coverage. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Bill Allen (Republican), Susan Hoisington (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Bill Allen is the sitting member per the House roster. Missouri has no runoffs; the August 4 primary winner of each party is the nominee, and unopposed nominees still print. The field is the Missouri Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list (certified August 25, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageMissouri House District 18Eric Woods (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Eric Woods Democratic Incumbent
Eric Woods is a candidate for Missouri House District 18, describing himself as a lifelong Northlander, per his campaign site. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Missouri with degrees in political science, history and religious studies, and served as Mizzou Student Body President, per his campaign site. He is a member of the Clay County Democratic Central Committee and serves on the University of Missouri Extension Council for Clay County, per his campaign site.
Eric Woods (Democratic) is the only nominee on the November 3 ballot; Eric Woods is the sitting member per the House roster. Missouri has no runoffs; the August 4 primary winner of each party is the nominee, and unopposed nominees still print. The field is the Missouri Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list (certified August 25, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageMissouri House District 38Mary Hill (R) · Martin (Marty) Jacobs (D)
Mary Hill Republican
- Protecting personal freedoms
- Supporting hardworking families
- Cutting taxes and government waste
Per the campaign site.
About Mary Hill
Mary Hill is a candidate for Missouri House District 38 and a registered nurse of more than 30 years, per her campaign site. She is a member of the Missouri Nurses Association, per her campaign site.
Martin (Marty) Jacobs Democratic Incumbent
Martin Jacobs spent 44 years in education as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and coach, including serving as principal of Liberty High School and Liberty North High School, per his official Missouri House biography. He holds a doctorate in education from the University of Missouri and was named Administrator of the Year in 2019 by the Missouri Interscholastic Press Association. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Mary Hill (Republican), Martin (Marty) Jacobs (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Martin (Marty) Jacobs is the sitting member per the House roster. Missouri has no runoffs; the August 4 primary winner of each party is the nominee, and unopposed nominees still print. The field is the Missouri Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list (certified August 25, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageMissouri House District 39Mark Meirath (R) · Tanya Lakins (D)
Mark Meirath Republican Incumbent
Mark Meirath owns a construction company and previously spent 12 years as a branch manager and 15 years working in bank lending in the Kansas City and Excelsior Springs areas, per his official Missouri House biography. He represents part of Clay County, including Excelsior Springs and Kearney. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Tanya Lakins Democratic
- Cutting taxes on essentials and lowering monthly bills
- Lowering health care out-of-pocket costs and stopping surprise charges
- Public safety and reliable emergency response
Per the campaign site.
About Tanya Lakins
Tanya Lakins is a Marine Corps veteran of 11 years and a small-business owner who has lived in Liberty, in District 39, since 2012, per her campaign site. She volunteers with veteran mental health programs including The Battle Within and Healing Warrior Hearts.
Mark Meirath (Republican), Tanya Lakins (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Mark Meirath is the sitting member per the House roster. Missouri has no runoffs; the August 4 primary winner of each party is the nominee, and unopposed nominees still print. The field is the Missouri Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list (certified August 25, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageEastern Commissioner, Seat 2Nonpartisan race · Jay R. Johnson · Mark McAuliffe
Jay R. Johnson and Mark McAuliffe are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Eastern Commissioner, Seat 2.
Jay R. Johnson Nonpartisan Incumbent
- Strengthening public safety
- Investing in critical infrastructure
- Reducing the tax burden
Per the Kansas City Star.
About Jay R. Johnson
Elected eastern commissioner in 2023 after a policing career that included more than a year as interim chief of police at UMKC, chief in Newport Beach, and 23 years with the Long Beach Police Department, per the Kansas City Star. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Mark McAuliffe Nonpartisan
- Creating more jobs
- Enhancing community safety
- Lowering taxes
Per the Kansas City Star.
About Mark McAuliffe
Executive director of the Clay County Economic Development Council with more than 30 years of corporate leadership and consulting experience, per the Kansas City Star, which reports he was raised in Clay County and lives in Kearney. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Nonpartisan: a majority winner on August 4 is elected outright, otherwise the top two advance to November 3. Appears only on Eastern District ballots.
Full race pageAlready decided at the primary
Already decided at the primary1 seat settled at the 2026 primary; not on the November 3 ballot
These seats were settled at the 2026 primary and will not appear on the November 3 ballot. Full fields and profiles stay on each race page.
Western Commissioner, Seat 2: Jon Carpenter won the seat.
August 4 primary result: Jon Carpenter won outright with 54.1 percent over Theresa Leaming (37.5 percent) and James Paxton Lyen (8.3 percent); under Clay County's nonpartisan rules a majority winner is elected and the seat will not appear on the November 3 ballot, per the county's official results. Jon Carpenter currently holds Western Seat 1 (through 2028) and is running for this separate Seat 2, per the Kansas City Star. Appears only on Western District ballots.
See your full ballot
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
Missouri nominees were set by the August 4 primary (plurality, no runoffs) and meet on the November 3 ballot; unopposed nominees still print. All 163 state House seats, the even-numbered state Senate districts, partisan circuit judgeships in non-plan circuits and the county offices on the four-year off-presidential cycle (presiding commissioner, clerk, circuit clerk, auditor, recorder, collector, prosecuting attorney) are up; sheriff, assessor, treasurer and the associate commissioners were elected in 2024, per the Secretary of State.
Who is on the ballot in Clay County, Missouri on November 3, 2026?
Clay County sample ballot 2026: see where the presiding commissioner, eastern commissioner and missouri house candidates stand on taxes and public safety. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in Missouri?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Missouri are listed on the Missouri election hub. Missouri election hub →
Which Clay County races were already decided at the primary?
1 race was settled at the 2026 primary and will not appear on the November 3 ballot. The results and full candidate fields stay on each race page in the section above.
How do I see my exact Clay County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
Sample ballot by ZIP code in Clay County18 ZIP codes
Candidate roster last updated Oct 2, 2026 from official election sources.