Democrats flipped a key legislative seat and broke the Republican supermajority in the Missouri House following the November 3, 2026, election, according to unofficial results from the Greene County Clerk’s Office. While all incumbents retained their seats in the state House, House District 133 shifted hands when Democratic candidate Katelyn Zach defeated Republican candidate Jerry Angelo by a margin of more than 2,000 votes.
Voter turnout in Greene County reached 51.23% of registered voters, as reported by Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller to the Springfield News-Leader. That baseline participation set the stage for a local ballot that reshaped the region’s delegation in Jefferson City.
Shifting Margins in House District 133 and House District 135
Zach, who brings prior experience working in the state capitol, focused her campaign on economic pressures facing working-class families. Her agenda emphasized making living costs more manageable so individuals can build emergency funds rather than scraping by from paycheck to paycheck, pushing back against “right to work” legislation, providing full funding to public schools, and strengthening as well as safeguarding the expansion of Medicaid.
“When I started this a year and a half ago, I didn’t think we were going to make it to Election Day,” Zach told supporters on election night. “I am so excited to be Representative-Elect Katelyn Zach.”
The Democratic gains in Greene County continued in House District 135. With Rep. Betsy Fogle winning election to Senate District 30, Democrat John Chiles was elected to take her place. An entrepreneur with a background in sustainability, Chiles secured 63.43% of the vote—a margin of more than 3,000 votes—against Republican Michael Hasty, a Realtor and part-time substitute teacher.
Chiles built his campaign around defending the voice of voters alongside the state’s initiative petition mechanism, shielding public education against budget reductions, and tackling healthcare cost barriers by backing advanced practice registered nurses as they move into active practice.
Incumbents Hold Ground Across Remaining Greene County Races
In the county’s other legislative contests, voters reelected incumbents over their challengers. Republican Rep. Bill Owen secured his fourth term in House District 131, defeating Democratic candidate Ashley Cossins with 69.91% of the vote. Owen, who spent nearly 40 years in the banking industry and previously served in the House from 1981 to 1982, is set to become the next chair of the Missouri House Budget Committee.
In House District 132, Democratic incumbent Rep. Jeremy Dean fended off a challenge from Russ Gosselin, founder of the nonprofit Elevate Lives, winning with 62.14% of the votes, a roughly 1,800-vote margin. Dean emphasized housing affordability, fully funding public education through the state foundation formula, and protecting access to reproductive healthcare and abortion.
Republican incumbent Rep. Alex Riley claimed victory in House District 134 over Democrat Kelsey Grant, earning 8,577 votes to Grant’s 7,119. Riley, who serves as House Majority Leader, is in line to serve as the Speaker of the House.
In House District 136, Democratic incumbent Rep. Stephanie Hein secured her third term by defeating Jacey Buckles, chief financial officer of FTS Heating and Cooling, with 60.43% of the vote. Meanwhile, Republican incumbent Rep. Darin Chappell retained his seat in House District 137, outpacing Democrat Bryce Lockwood with 62.33% of the vote.
The unofficial election results remain subject to the addition of provisional, overseas, and military ballots prior to official certification by election authorities.
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