A former Mizzou football captain and state lawmaker from Marshall is optimistic about winning a Missouri Senate seat in November. State Rep. Kurtis Gregory (R-Marshall) won a bruising GOP primary Tuesday for a state Senate seat that includes mid-Missouri’s Cooper, Howard and Saline counties. Rep. Gregory defeated State Rep. Doug Richey (R-Excelsior Springs) by a vote of 14,940 to 11,442. That’s a margin of 56 to 43 percent. Representative Gregory, who chairs the Missouri House Rules Regulatory Oversight Committee, joined us live on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri.” He tells listeners that he’s been in a lot of high-pressure situations before and focused on doing things like knocking on doors. He’ll face Liberty Democrat Jim Bates in November. Rep. Gregory says he’ll continue to put in hard work by knocking on doors, listening to voters and going to events. He says if he wins in November, he hopes to be appointed to the Senate Agriculture and Appropriations committees. Agriculture is a major component in the rural district, including the ethanol plant in Malta Bend and the apple trees in the district as well. Rep. Gregory also led the successful bipartisan efforts to pass name, image and likeness (NIL) legislation at the Missouri Capitol. He tells listeners that voters in Clay County and other rural parts of the district are worried the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals may leave for Kansas. Representative Gregory tells listeners that he agrees with former State Rep. Jerry Nolte (R), who is running for a state Senate seat in the Kansas City area. Gregory says he wants to make sure it’s the best thing for taxpayers, adding that he doesn’t want to see the Chiefs or Royals move to Kansas: