Melanie Stinnett running for state Senate seat

Springfieldian Melanie Stinnett, who is currently serving her second term in the Missouri House of Representatives, has launched a campaign for the state Senate.

Stinnett, a Republican, plans to seek the District 30 seat that represents part of Greene County in the Aug. 4, 2026, election, according to a news release. Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, is set to term out after first being elected to the Senate in 2018.

"Southwest Missouri deserves strong, commonsense leadership that is focused on solutions, not partisan politics," Stinnett said in the release. "As a health care professional, small-business owner and mom, I’ve spent my career working to make life better for Springfield families – and I’m ready to continue that work in the state Senate."

Stinnett is currently the only candidate listed with the Missouri Ethics Commission for the District 30 seat in the August 2026 election. Her Friends of Melanie Stinnett committee reported $50,778 in money on hand in its April quarterly report filed April 15.

According to past Springfield Business Journal reporting, Stinnett founded an independent pediatric speech therapy clinic, TheraCare Outpatient Services LLC, which was later purchased by The Arc of the Ozarks. She also founded the nonprofit Include Ozarks, which serves families with special needs.

For her current District 133 seat in the House, Stinnett defeated Democratic challenger Derrick Nowlin in November. She was first elected to the seat in 2022.

In the release, Stinnett cited her work in the House that has included legislation to help people with disabilities find employment without losing access to health care, as well as support of tax and spending cuts.