KC-area pastor who said ‘no such thing as separation of church and state’ wins MO Senate 11
Jackson County pastor Joe Nicola won election to the Missouri Senate on Tuesday as Republicans flipped a hotly-contested district previously held by the chamber's top Democratic leader.
Nicola, a Republican from Grain Valley, defeated Democratic Rep. Robert Sauls from Independence. The district, Senate District 11, represents the Kansas City-area suburbs of Independence, Sugar Creek and Grain Valley.
As of 11 p.m. he had 52% of the vote, with all precincts reporting, according to the Missouri Secretary of State's Office. Sauls received 48% of the vote.
Nicola's election could hold significant consequences for the prominent district, which was previously held by Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo. Political observers expect him to be aligned with the hard-right Missouri Freedom Caucus, which has frequently sparred with GOP leadership.
Ahead of Tuesday's vote, Nicola promoted a more traditional conservative look to voters, including a focus on his opposition to abortion and promises to curtail crime. He also held several events where he helped seniors navigate a new property tax freeze.
But The Star also revealed his more fringe beliefs , outlined in his online writings and sermons, that critics said raised questions about how he would govern. Those beliefs included the idea that sometimes mental illness is actually demon possession, an argument that Missouri should "decouple" from the federal government and Nicola's claim that there's "no such thing as separation of church and state."
Nicola's Independence church also donated money to a political action committee that supported his candidacy, a move questioned by legal experts who spoke with The Star.
Despite the criticism, Republican lawmakers and strategists appeared confident that Nicola would be able to win the district.
But Nicola's campaign also suffered a blow last month when the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a historically Republican-leaning organization, endorsed Sauls, his Democratic opponent.
When the chamber announced its slate of endorsements, it pointed to "political dysfunction" that derailed the Senate during the 2024 session and "stalled key business priorities, harming Missouri employers and families."
Infighting between members of the hard-right Freedom Caucus and the more moderate Republican leadership has roiled the Missouri Capitol in recent years, derailing a slew of GOP priorities.
The 2024 session was among the least productive in recent history as Missouri lawmakers left Jefferson City after passing a modern record-low 28 non-budget bills.
