With the 2016 election still fresh in voters’ minds, it’s hard to imagine another one just around the corner. However, Missouri in particular will have some interesting races, with incumbents Democrat Sen.

Claire McCaskill, and Representatives Ann Wagner, a Republican, and Lacy Clay, a Democrat, defending their congressional seats for the St. Louis region. Osmack Wagner’s 2nd District, which was once a largely ignored district for the Democrats, will now become one of their most desired seats as they attempt to wrestle control back from the GOP majority in both chambers.

The Clayton Times had a chance to sit down with Democratic candidate and political newcomer Mark Osmack to see why he believes he’s the right choice to represent the state of Missouri. Osmack is a fourth generation St. Louisan originally from south St.

Louis County. After college, he enlisted in the United States Army, where he served two combat tours in Afghanistan and received a Bronze Star. Osmack was even featured in a article describing the unique war the United States was fighting in. Clayton Times: What compelled you to run? Osmack: It’s something that I’ve been interested in since I was much younger, but as I got older, I started to take classes and test things. I started off as an intern in 2004 in Jefferson City, I worked for Rep. Bob May (then District 149 in Rolla).

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Fast forward to now, my time on the Hill in Washington D.C. But also time in service in the Army really fit into that. For me that most honest way to answer it it’s to continue public service. I don’t think we’re heading down the right direction but for me this is the way I want to continue to serve in addition to what I did in the Army. Clayton Times: It seems more and more military veterans are running for office. Why do you think that is?

Osmack: A lot of reasons. Part of it is that the war has been going on for so long (and) we have a lot of people coming back thankfully. Right now, we’re at the lowest point of veterans since World War II in Washington D.C. But also that people are continually disappointed with the status quo — for a lack of a better term — in D.C.

And in state capitols. The American military consistently is viewed highly and positively; it seems to be a natural progression to go from one form of leadership and service to the next. Clayton Times: What do military veterans bring to a political race that separates them from someone who doesn’t have a service record? Osmack: It’s how they’re viewed and I think it’s also a bit of discipline and a commitment to something higher. Everybody that’s in the military, there is something larger than them and that is the organization, whether that’s the platoon, the company, the battalion, the brigade, the division, the corps, or the actual service — it’s knowing that they’re part of something much bigger than them. The way I kind of explain it is: I want to be the candidate who happens to be a veteran and not the veteran who happens to be the candidate.