49th District race is a battle of Democrats

Political newcomers are vying for the State Representative seat for the 49th District to be decided in August’s primary election.

Tom McDonald of Independence and Jason Parson of Kansas City, both Democrats, are the only candidates for the seat vacated by former State Rep. Terry Young, a Democrat who did not seek re-election and has moved out of the area.

There is no Republican entered, so the winner of the primary Aug. 5 will head to the statehouse.

The 49th District includes parts of Independence, Raytown and Kansas City. It is bounded by Truman Road to the north, Noland Road to the East, Little Blue Road to the south and extends past Raytown Road to the west into parts of Kansas City.

“My political involvement has risen over the years from a local level to a state level,” said McDonald, who helped his wife Lois’ unsuccessful bid for Independence mayor in 2006. “I’ve always been involved in civic issues but I’ve never ran for office. Like any other job, you have to begin somewhere.”

McDonald said he has been on the campaign trail for nearly six months going door to door in more than 30 district precincts to talk to residents about his political platform centered on economic development and quality education opportunities for the 49th District’s school children in the Independence, Kansas City and Raytown school districts.

“As I walked throughout the district, residents seem to be looking for a change,” McDonald said. “That seems to be a catch-phrase in today’s politics: change. They want changes to the way the government is run, changes to their lives. Their personal economy has been attacked. They are looking for change.”

McDonald said he has been endorsed by Missouri AFL-CIO, Heart of America Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO, Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council, Raytown Democratic Association, Missouri State Council of Fire Fighters, Greater Kansas City Association of Fire Fighters Local 42 and the Missouri School Administrators Association. Independence Mayor Don Reimal and state Sen. Victor Callahan, D-Independence have also endorsed McDonald.

“I have talked to just about everyone in the district who is a voting citizen,” McDonald said. “The experience has been fair and fun. The majority of people are interested, curious and involved,” in the upcoming primary.

Parson, a veteran of the United States Air Force Reserves who served a tour of duty in Iraq, is also running for public office for the first time, but added he has been involved in civic issues for the past 14 years.

“When I got back from Iraq, I realized we did a lot of good work over there,” said Parson, a Blue Springs High School graduate. “The one thing I realized is we need to be doing the same thing over here.”

In the last few years, Parson said he has been actively involved in helping shape children’s future through a partnership with his public relations firm Parson and Associates and governmental agencies. Parson said he is a recent recipient of the Prism Award, bestowed by the Greater Kansas City Public Relations Society of America, for his development and execution of the Career Exploration Program for middle school students, a program responsible for introducing Kansas City youth with the multi-million dollar Kansas City convention center project and career possibilities in various facets of construction.

Through his public relations work, Parson added, he has worked with initiatives, both locally and nationally, surrounding green collar jobs, youth job and life skills, education and water quality issues.

Parson said he is endorsed by Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus, NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri, Freedom, Inc. and individuals Ralph Monaco, former Missouri State Representative, Kim Carlos, President of K.C. Consulting and Kansas City 5th District Councilman Terry Riley, among others. Parson is running on a platform that includes improved education, economic development, health care, alternatives to protect the environment and veteran’s affairs.

“There is a famous quote that says ‘experience is not what happens to you, it’s what you do with what happens to you,’ ” Parson said. “Through my experiences over there in Iraq, I wanted to share my experiences here within the Independence, Raytown and Kansas City area. I want to make sure our schools are well funded, make sure our infrastructure is in place, make sure we have secure neighborhoods and take care of our veterans here at home.”

Parson said since March he has canvassed door-to-door in neighborhoods throughout the district, sent out mass mailings and marketed his campaign through his web site jasonparson.com. He described the campaign trail as “pleasant.”

“The people of the district have been very warm and very welcoming,” Parson said. “Whether we live in Kansas City, Independence or Raytown, we all are facing the same problems.”

Parson, though, is facing some legal problems all of his own.

Allegations of threats and verbal abuse levied against Parson by the mother of Parson’s 4-year-old son led to the woman filing an order of protection in January against Parson. The woman also contends that Parson violated the order April 19 by speaking to her in a threatening manner at the child’s soccer game in Raytown. Raytown police cited Parson for violating the order and he received a June court date after posting a $200 fine.

Parson said the allegations are behind him now. Declining to delve into specifics, Parson said his attorney, George Wheeler, had the violation charge thrown out last week in Raytown Municipal Court. The original order of protection expires Tuesday. Parson and the woman both agreed in January to stipulations granting Parson limited visitations rights for the child.

McDonald said he was not aware of the allegations.

“I know very little about my opponent,” McDonald said, “but I do like him a lot. In talking with him he seems to have some very interesting ideas. In the overall picture, I think he is more inexperienced than me. He’s very young.”