U.S. House, Missouri 8th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Missouri's 8th Congressional District?
Jason Smith has the strongest record in Missouri's 8th Congressional District. Jason Smith scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Chris Reichard at 53, as of October 6, 2026. Jason Smith's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Chris Reichard's highest marks are communication. Rebecca Lombard (0 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Libertarian
Rebecca Lombard
On the ballot as Rebecca Sharpe Lombard
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 0 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- NR
- Performance
- NR
Democratic
Chris Reichard
53 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 56
- Performance
- NR
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Jason Smith
On the ballot as Jason T. Smith
65 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 44
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 69
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Rebecca Lombard
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Chris Reichard
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Jason Smith
- On the record2021-01-06
Signed the December 2020 Texas v. Pennsylvania amicus brief and voted for the January 2021 objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electors.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 11, 2021, Texas v. Pennsylvania House amicus brief
- Credit2023-08-07
Sponsored the act implementing the first U.S.-Taiwan trade agreement under the 21st-Century Trade initiative, signed into law Aug. 7, 2023.
Source: GovTrack, H.R. 4004 (118th)
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Rebecca Lombard. No public record found.
Chris Reichard. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through July 15, 2026, and a House candidate financial disclosure was filed May 18, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10079742, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00933739
Jason Smith. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed with the House Clerk on Aug. 13, 2026, after an extension; the Clerk index lists no periodic transaction reports for him. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10078389, House Committee on Ethics site search, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00541862
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Rebecca Lombard. No public record found.
Chris Reichard. No public record found.
Jason Smith. Voted Nay on the April 2024 Ukraine supplemental when Speaker Johnson and Leader Scalise voted Yea.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 151, 2024, Ukraine supplemental
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Rebecca Lombard. No public record found.
Chris Reichard. Took part in an April 2026 public candidate forum in Poplar Bluff and a May 2026 public primary debate at Southeast Missouri State University.
Jason Smith. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Rebecca Lombard. No public record found.
Chris Reichard. Served in the Army from 2004 to 2012 with three tours in Iraq. No formal conduct finding found.
Jason Smith. An attorney and farmer who served in the Missouri House from 2005 to 2013, rising to speaker pro tem, and in Congress since 2013. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Sources: Park Hills Daily Journal, July 25, 2026, House Committee on Ethics site search
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Rebecca Lombard. No public record found.
Chris Reichard. Served in the U.S. Army from 2004 to 2012; no official finding of misconduct found.
Jason Smith. Voted Yea on the January 2021 objections to the certified Arizona and Pennsylvania electors (E2), and signed the December 2020 Texas v. Pennsylvania amicus brief.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, 2021, Texas v. Pennsylvania House amicus brief
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Rebecca Lombard. No public record found.
Chris Reichard. Army communications soldier for eight years, then a career in communications operations and construction as an IBEW Local 1 member. Has not held public office.
Jason Smith. In the U.S. House since June 2013; previously eight years in the Missouri House, including as speaker pro tem.
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Rebecca Lombard. No public record found.
Chris Reichard. States positions on workers' rights, veterans' care, defense spending and rural health care access; mostly general.
Jason Smith. Chairs the House Ways and Means Committee and is vice chair of the Joint Committee on Taxation; sponsored 5 bills that were enacted.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Rebecca Lombard. No public record found.
Chris Reichard. Answered a Daily Journal candidate questionnaire, took part in a primary forum and debate, and publishes a campaign site.
Sources: Park Hills Daily Journal candidate profile, KRCU, May 16, 2026, Campaign site
Jason Smith. Offers an e-newsletter and publishes campaign information. Has not completed a 2026 voter questionnaire found in this review.
Sources: House office site, Campaign site
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Rebecca Lombard. No public record found.
Chris Reichard. No public record found.
Jason Smith. Raised in Salem, a fourth-generation owner of his family farm, and represented the area in the Missouri House. FEC by-state totals show about 24 percent of itemized individual contributions from Missouri.
Sources: Park Hills Daily Journal, July 25, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Rebecca Lombard. No public record found.
Chris Reichard. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through July 15, 2026, with no administrative fine; the committee reports $5,196 in debts.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00933739
Jason Smith. Chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, which he has led since January 2023. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through July 15, 2026, with no administrative fine.
Sources: Park Hills Daily Journal, July 25, 2026, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00541862
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Rebecca Lombard. No public record found.
Chris Reichard. No public record found.
Jason Smith. Center for Effective Lawmaking rated him Exceeds Expectations in the 118th Congress (LES 2.0 of 3.70 against a benchmark of 2.43). Sponsor of the U.S.-Taiwan trade agreement implementation act, signed Aug. 7, 2023.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, H.R. 4004 (118th)
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Rebecca Lombard. No public record found.
Chris Reichard. No public record found.
Jason Smith. Missed 119 of 7,411 roll call votes, 1.6 percent, from June 2013 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Rebecca Lombard. No public record found.
Chris Reichard. No public record found.
Jason Smith. Lists district offices in Cape Girardeau, Rolla, Farmington, West Plains and Poplar Bluff. No published casework totals found.
Source: House office site
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Rebecca Lombard. No public record found.
Chris Reichard. No public record found.
Jason Smith. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.78262 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 288 of 436.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Rebecca Lombard. No public record found.
Chris Reichard. No public record found.
Jason Smith. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Missouri's 8th Congressional District?
Jason Smith has the strongest record in Missouri's 8th Congressional District. Jason Smith scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Chris Reichard at 53, as of October 6, 2026. Jason Smith's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Chris Reichard's highest marks are communication. Rebecca Lombard (0 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Missouri's 8th Congressional District in 2026?
Rebecca Lombard (Libertarian), Chris Reichard (Democratic), Jason Smith (Republican, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Rebecca Lombard a good candidate for Congress?
Rebecca Lombard has public evidence on 0 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Chris Reichard a good candidate for Congress?
Chris Reichard scores 53 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 56 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Jason Smith a good candidate for Congress?
Jason Smith scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 44 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 69 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Missouri race scored, and the Missouri 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.