8 southwest Missouri Republicans were asked: What would make you unique in Congress?

Read the full article on KSMU here.

In a live debate Wednesday evening, eight Republicans vying to succeed outgoing Congressman Billy Long in Missouri's 7th district tried to distinguish themselves from one another ahead of the crowded August 2 primary.

The two-hour debate was hosted by Springfield radio station KWTO. Former speaker of the Missouri House Elijah Haahr, who was a moderator, posed the following question to the eight candidates: “There are 435 members in the U.S. House of Representatives. How will you stand out from the rest?"

[Below from] Audrey Richards:

“I am the only candidate sitting around this table who has worked in the [U.S.] executive branch. I am the only one who’s got that D.C. experience…In addition to that, the Democrats are holding on to this notion that they have a monopoly on the voices of young people and on the voices of women. We have to have somebody up there to say, 'That’s not accurate.' The national media doesn’t have a face to put to that. Let’s give them one.”