Hein flips a third Springfield district for Democrats, Stinnett holds open seat for GOP

Statehouse Democrats had a successful night in Springfield on Tuesday, flipping a House seat and holding both of their sitting members' House seats — including their caucus leader's. Republicans managed to hold onto an open House seat, while sending the likely next Senate budget chair back for a second term.

House District 132: Crystal Quade wins a final term

The leader of the House Democrats faced a more harrowing race this fall in an altered Springfield district but won re-election for a final two-year term Tuesday night.

Crystal Quade will return to Jefferson City for her fourth term representing the 132nd district, and will also return as the head of the Democratic caucus in the House. First elected in 2016 and voted into leadership in 2018 and 2020, Quade will term out of the chamber in 2024.

With all but a small number of overseas ballots counted, Quade earned more than 56% of the vote in the district representing parts of downtown and northwest Springfield, against about 44% for Republican challenger Stephanos Freeman.

As minority leader, Quade has served as a key messenger in opposition to many Republican priorities, while also aiming to work across the aisle to accomplish some of her own party's proposals. She's been a vocal opponent of Missouri's abortion ban, holding community town halls after the overturning of Roe v. Wade and filing legislation during a special session that would repeal the state ban.

Election 2022:Springfield's sitting lawmakers face shifting district lines, well-funded challengers in 2022 election

House District 135: Betsy Fogle wins another two years in toss-up district

Democrat Betsy Fogle also will return for another term in Jefferson City, keeping her seat in a toss-up district she narrowly flipped last election.

Fogle, who won the 135th district in northeast Springfield by a few dozen votes in 2020, posted a more sizable lead over Republican challenger AJ Exner. Late results showed Fogle with 56% to Exner's 44% of votes.

She'll enter her second term having established herself as a Democratic voice on the House budget committee, and an outspoken advocate for health and child care access as a former public health programming leader. While often voting for and supporting Democratic priorities, Fogle has also toed the lines between parties in her district, including a vote in support of a recent Republican-led tax cut.

Her victory in one of the few toss-up statehouse districts is a key one for Democrats, who entered the cycle hoping to at least hold their current minority numbers in both chambers. Fogle was the only candidate to flip a district from one party to another in 2020, and staved off Exner's challenge Tuesday to keep the seat blue for another two years.

Election 2022:This Missouri House district was decided by 79 votes in 2020. All eyes are on it again.

House District 136: Stephanie Hein narrowly defeats incumbent Craig Fishel

Democrat Stephanie Hein led by 202 votes to flip a southeast Springfield state House seat held by Republican Craig Fishel on Tuesday.

Hein, a Missouri State University professor, raised upwards of $100,000 in her challenge to Fishel, a former Springfield city councilman who was seeking his third term in the House.

Hein held just shy of 51% of the vote to Fishel's 49% at the latest count and represented the narrowest margin of any Springfield contest. Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller said in a message to the News-Leader he did not anticipate the small number of forthcoming military and overseas ballots would impact the outcome in Hein and Fishel's race.

On the campaign trail and in an interview, Hein said she was focused on fully funding government services to give Missourians easier access to health care, education and quality infrastructure, while criticizing a recent tax cut and other GOP-led measures.

Hein's apparent victory marks a significant win for Democrats, who were granted an opportunity to strike after the previously Republican-favored 136th district became more competitive through redistricting (Fishel won by 17 percentage points, or around 4,000 votes, in 2020). It is the second Springfield-area district to flip Democratic over the last two election cycles.

Election 2022:Springfield's sitting lawmakers face shifting district lines, well-funded challengers in 2022 election

House District 133: Melanie Stinnett keeps southwest Springfield red

Republican Melanie Stinnett won the race for an open state House seat in southwest Springfield by a wider margin on Tuesday night, as she defeated Democrat Amy Blansit and kept the district in Republican hands.

Stinnett, the founder of speech therapy business TheraCare, will go to Jefferson City representing a district previously held by Republican Rep. Curtis Trent, who won a seat in the state Senate on Tuesday.

She led Blansit, the CEO and founder of the nonprofit Drew Lewis Foundation, with 52% of the vote.

Stinnett's victory represents a win for Republicans in the 133rd House district, which after redistricting became competitive. The majority party was able to keep it from flipping as Democrats have aimed to gain ground in the Springfield area in recent election cycles. Stinnett has focused her campaign on health care and de-regulation to assist small businesses.

Election 2022:Two women, both active in Springfield advocacy, vie for a toss-up state House seat

House District 134: Alex Riley beats Battlefield councilwoman in new southern district

Republican Alex Riley easily won a second term in a radically different 134th district, now representing Battlefield and communities in southern Springfield. That district remains favorable to Republicans, but Riley faced a local challenge from Democrat Samantha Deaton, a Battlefield city councilwoman.

In the latest count, Riley was up 63% to Deaton's 37%, with more than 3,600 votes separating the two.

Riley, an attorney who also serves on the House budget committee, focused on issues of business and the economy as voters raise concerns about the cost of living. Deaton, who ran a longshot campaign, focused on hearing voters' top concerns, which she says includes access to affordable child care.

State Senate: Lincoln Hough wins second term, aiming to be budget chair

Republican Lincoln Hough, who fended off a primary challenge from former Springfield city councilwoman Angela Romine, defeated Democrat Raymond Lampert. He'll return to Jefferson City as the chair of the Senate budget committee. He notched a legislative victory in spearheading efforts to pass an income tax cut earlier this fall, and is likely to hold significant sway in crafting the state's annual spending plan.

Hough held 57% of the vote to Lampert's 42% in the latest tally.

Lampert, a Springfield attorney who previously mounted an unsuccessful campaign against Republican Rep. John Black of Marshfield, voiced support for public schools in Springfield and opposition to the state's abortion ban. Lampert has done little fundraising or spending in comparison to Hough.

Galen Bacharier covers Missouri politics & government for the News-Leader. Contact him at gbacharier@news-leader.com, (573) 219-7440 or on Twitter @galenbacharier.

Susan Szuch is the health and public policy reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Election 2022 results for Springfield state House and Senate districts