Craig Hosmer took over Dec. 6 as chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party. The Springfield attorney and 12-year General Assembly veteran had been the Democratic chair for Greene County. Hosmer also served as treasurer for Attorney General Jay Nixon's successful campaign for governor.
Q: Tell me about your professional background.
A: I graduated from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., in 1986, and since then I've practiced law here in Springfield. In 1992, I ran for the state legislature and won, and I was there for 12 years. I ran for the state Senate and got beat by Norma Champion in 2002, and then in 2005 I became chair of the Greene County Democratic Party. In 2007, I took over as treasurer for Attorney General Nixon's race for governor.
Q: Why did you decide to enter the political arena?
A: I've always thought public service was something people should do. I enjoyed the legislature ... and I felt like we were getting things done, making the state better, helping people. It's the same thing you do as an attorney - you try to solve problems and work with people. There's a lot of commonality between the practice of law and being in government or politics. It's a good field, and I enjoyed it - the 12 years I was (in Jefferson City) is the best work experience I've had.
Q: So do lawyers make the best legislators?
A: That's the thing about the legislature - you can come from any background. You don't have to be a lawyer or a doctor. Some of the best legislators I ever served with were teachers or farmers. They used common sense, and they're trying to help people through the government process. Whatever experience you have, you can come to it with a different perspective, and that's the nice thing about a part-time legislature: You get a lot of people with varied experiences.
Q: Does your being from this area help the Democratic Party's chances in southwest Missouri?
A: I think it does to a certain extent. You've got to focus on where you can pick up seats, and in southwest Missouri we (only) have two or three Democratic legislative seats, so I think there's an opportunity for gains down here. We know how to campaign here, what works and what doesn't. But the philosophy is the same in Kansas City, St. Louis or Springfield - you have to get good candidates, fund them, get good issues and work hard. If you do that, you can win anywhere in the state.
Q: What issues in the coming session will impact business?
A: The economy is issue No. 1. You have to do something to turn this economy around and restore people's faith and confidence in the system. There's going to be a push to do that. There's also health care. That affects every business in the state of Missouri, and you have to be smart about making changes, not doing things that are going to drive health care costs higher. Unfortunately, under the Blunt administration, when they made those Medicaid cuts, they took about $1.4 billion out of the health care industry, (which) drove private premiums up; people still got health care, they just got it at the (emergency room). So I think you have to be smart about changes that you make, but you also have to make changes that will be effective.
