Politics

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Candidate Conversations

Each election year, KBIA sits down with local candidates to hear what they have to say on their own terms. Some of these candidates you might see on TV every day. Others might be familiar by name only, if that. But KBIA interviews them all so that you can be informed when you go to the polls in November.

Spence touts background in the private sector in gubernatorial challenge

KBIA

Published November 1, 2012 at 11:20 AM CDT

Dave Spence is challenging gubernatorial incumbent Jay Nixon

Missouri gubernatorial candidate Dave Spence, with his son Logan, met us at the KBIA studios this week for a conversation with KBIA’s Janet Saidi.

Spence has been a successful businessman in St. Louis, stepping down last year from his post as CEO of Alpha Packaging, which he bought in 1985. Spence is an MU alum, is married to Suzie Spence and they have four children. This is Spence’s first run for public office. He’s challenging Governor Jay Nixon, who is in his 26^th year in public office, and has previously served as Missouri’s attorney general and a state senator.

In television ads, both campaigns have pointed to the economy, business growth, employment numbers and Spence’s background in the private sector – of course with both painting different pictures of the way things are. Spence tends to paint a rather bleak picture of the state of the state, and calls for changes, which he discusses with KBIA.