Neely offers Northwest Missouri medicine in governor run – News-Press Now

NORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo. Jim Neely is running a tight-knit, community focused campaign; for the Cameron, Missouri, physician and decades-experienced public servant, there isnt any other way to do it.

Hes pursuing a run for governor, the first from rural Northwest Missouri to seek the states top job in some time, with a message designed to advance conservative principles while hoping to leverage popular frustrations with what he labels typical Jefferson City politics. He took a moment at a campaign meet-and-greet event on Thursday to elaborate on this.

Weve got challenges and, you know what, the citizens see this, he said. Theres a relationship problem between taxpayers and government.

Mike Larkin of Plattsburg, Missouri, a retired airline pilot for TWA, attended the Neely event on Thursday at Repeal the 18th Bar and Bistro in North Kansas City, Missouri, after following Neelys career in public service for some time. Larkin said it is one of his most important values that the Show Me State be run by working professionals from rural America, preferably Northwest Missouri.

It means everything, Larkin said. Everything. I have watched what goes on in Jeff City for 40 years, and none of us can be very happy with our state government. Bad politics seem to permeate, no matter what side youre on.

Beyond his service in the state legislature since his first election in 2012, Neely still practices medicine, serving assisted living facilities in local communities in association with the Cameron Regional Medical Center; hes practiced medicine there since 1987.

He originally hails from Tarkio, Missouri, and moved at a young age to Forest City, Missouri. In his young adult life, Neely served in the U.S. Army as an infantry officer from 1974 to 1976, separating with the grade of first lieutenant. Neely was on the Cameron R-I school board from 1996 to 2005.

So, my ties to Northwest Missouri are significant, he said. I love Northwest Missouri.

Theres no way to run a Republican campaign for governor these days without acknowledging the elephant in the room of COVID-19, and Neely is in a particular position to do that as a practicing medical doctor. He described himself as a skeptic of mandatory requirements for masks, of the like that apply in Jackson County where the Thursday event took place.

At the end of the day, Neely believes that rural leaders should push back on broad mandates. Those who feel compelled to wear masks to protect themselves and others should do so, he said, but this is not the governments role to enforce.

We need to be all going right back, back to the normal we had in January and February, back to work, he said. People will be happier and healthier.