A Lemay man is challenging Rep. Cloria Brown for the Republican nomination to the District 94 Missouri House seat in the Tuesday, Aug. 7, primary.

Tim Hotop and Brown, who currently represents District 85, are vying for their party’s nomination in the newly redrawn 94th District.

The primary winner will face Democrat Vicki Lorenz Englund, a former state representative and current Lindbergh Board of Education member, in the Nov. 6 general election.

Asked to identify the most important issue in the race, Brown said, “Jobs. When there are no jobs, families suffer. The tax-and-spend policies of the past have hurt everyone. Economic growth and development will be achieved through reduced taxes, tax incentives for business and on-going training of our work force.

“Businesses need to have dollars to invest in product development, which creates jobs, which, in turn, creates buying power for the worker and his/her family. Training and retraining Missouri citizens must become a priority so that our workforce is always prepared for the next job.”

Hotop, 2711 Clager Road, 63125, did not respond to a Call questionnaire.

Brown, 70, 3306 Lone Elm Drive, 63125, is retired from MasterCard International, where she served as vice president of a technology group. She and her husband, Frank, have an adult daughter.

Brown, who was elected to the 85th District House seat in 2010, said she is seeking re-election because “I want to continue to serve my community now that I am retired and have the time available. The people of the 94th District deserve a representative who understands and reflects their values and beliefs.

“I have lived in the district for over 40 years. I know and understand the problems facing the people of the 94th and continue to work tirelessly to ensure that these problems are resolved.”

Brown gave the following responses to a Call questionnaire:

“I am 100-percent pro-life and the only candidate in the 94th state representative race that is endorsed by the Missouri Right to Life. Many of the pro-life bills come through the Children and Families Committee on which I serve.”

“The death penalty is the appropriate punishment for certain criminals committing specific crimes.

“The imposition of the death penalty is extremely rare. This law is not likely to be changed. I feel that the system has safeguards through the long appeal process, our jury system and, most of all, the latest advancements in technology that aid in investigations. There are some crimes that are so horrendous that the death penalty is justified.”

“No.”

• Are changes needed to the state’s foundation formula for funding education?

“Yes, absolutely. The formula was meant to ensure equitable funding for schools and it does not. Our suburban taxpayers are funding the rural schools and the inner-city schools.”

“We have a moral obligation to ensure that the retirees receive the benefits that they were promised. No changes should be made to PSRS that would adversely affect existing retirees or active teachers. In August of last year, PSRS implemented changes called ‘Funding Stabilization Policy.’

“PSRS believes this change will pay off the unfunded accrued liability and PSRS would become 100-percent prefunded within a 30-year time period without raising the contribution rate of the teachers and taxpayers. As a member of the House Retirement Committee and also a member of the Joint Committee on Public Employee Retirement, I will continue to work to ensure that funds are available when the employees retire.”

“Yes, but there would need to be stringent rules as to how they would be used.”