ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

JEFFERSON CITY — One ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ County lawmaker’s long-shot bid for House speaker, despite receiving attention on social media, doesn’t appear to be gaining significant traction with GOP lawmakers.

State Rep. Justin Sparks of Wildwood, a former ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ County police officer and first-term lawmaker, launched his surprise bid in , challenging House Majority Leader Jonathan Patterson, a surgeon from Lee’s Summit, for the House’s top spot.

Sparks’ broadside marked a dramatic break with norms. In line with tradition, House Republicans, during a closed-door meeting more than a year ago, voted for Patterson to be the next House speaker.

The entire House is set to vote on Patterson’s promotion to speaker at the beginning of session on Jan. 8. In recent history, until this year, the speaker election has largely been a formality.

Sparks’ bid showed no signs of robust support among his GOP colleagues as of Friday. He could still backtrack if his bid fails to gain support, or if he wins concessions from House leadership ahead of the vote.

Sparks has criticized Patterson’s statements opposing changes to the abortion ballot question Amendment 3, as well as Patterson’s vote against restrictions on transgender health care.

But Sparks raised eyebrows when he also said he was taking on “the system that gave us Jon Patterson,� adding “power is for sale in Jefferson City.�

Sparks said if you want to become a chairman of a powerful House committee, or to join the budget committee, “you gotta pay.�

Sparks said he was required to give $20,000 to the House Republican Campaign Committee “to buy my position on powerful committees and to possibly be in leadership one day.� (State records show Sparks’ campaign has paid the HRCC one payment of $1,675 in December 2023.)

Lt. Gov.-elect David Wasinger, a Republican, took notice of Sparks’ message this week and posted on X: “.�

Conservative commentator and former Mizzou wide receiver T.J. Moe also weighed in on the speaker’s race. “Do you ever wonder why The Missouri legislature is so useless? It’s because of guys like Jon Patterson,� Moe said.

Sparks, in an interview Thursday, said speaking out has caused backlash from his colleagues.

In general, Republican leadership in the Missouri House keeps a tight lid on dissent, unlike the Senate, where private disputes between Republican factions often spill onto the floor.

“Some of my colleagues are really upset with me because they think I’m hurting the party,� Sparks said. “They’re embarrassed. People don’t like to be embarrassed — especially politicians.�

Sparks said he didn’t challenge Patterson “with the condition of winning. I did this because it’s the right thing to do.�

He said most of his colleagues want the system to change, but don’t know how and don’t think it’s possible. “Nobody has done what I’m doing because of the consequences,� Sparks said.

Patterson did not respond to requests for comment this week.

House Republicans who spoke to the Post-Dispatch expressed support for Patterson.

Rep. , R-Savannah, in northwest Missouri, dismissed Sparks’ allegations of corruption within the Republican caucus.

“I’ve never heard anybody be told they wouldn’t get a committee assignment or a chairmanship because of what they did or didn’t give to HRCC,� Van Schoiack said. “He’s full of crap on that.�

Van Schoiack said he didn’t think Sparks had “a ghost’s chance� at winning the speaker’s race.

“We’ve already elected Jon Patterson to be speaker,� he said Thursday. “I think that Sparks is coming in here too little too late trying to — trying to kind of be an intimidator, in some ways, possibly.�

One of Sparks’ key criticisms of Patterson is that the GOP leader pledged to respect the will of voters when it came to the passage of Amendment 3, the ballot question overturning Missouri’s near-total abortion ban.

“The people have spoken,� Van Schoiack said. “It is the law — going to be the law of the land.�

He said questions about the amendment will be taken to court “and we’ll let the courts make some rulings on it before we do too awful much.�

“As the Legislature, we can’t go poke our finger in the eye of the people of Missouri and say ‘you don’t know what you voted for. We need to tell you how — what you need to do,’� Van Schoiack said.

Rep. , R-St. Joseph, also voiced support for Patterson in an interview this week.

“I’m 100% behind Speaker-elect Patterson,� Falkner said. “I think he was in a tough race in his district and he still continued to help other representatives get reelected, and did major fundraising for the caucus.�

Rep. , a Carrollton Republican, said she was “solidly� with Patterson.

“I think he (Sparks) has desires to be in leadership and maybe he will achieve that further on in his career but ... this is too late in the game to try to be nominated from the floor for a leadership position,� she said.