U.S. House · Missouri's 8th District
Christopher Reichard
CandidateD
- Race
- U.S. House · Missouri's 8th District
- Result
- Jason Smith, projected winner
- Opponents
- Jason Smith (R); Rebecca Sharpe Lombard (LIB)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did4 statements · 0 votes
Push to de-fund and abolish ICE
Expand immigration enforcement and deportations
Compare statements with votes ›On the ballotU.S. House · 8
2026-11-03
| Jason Smith R | incumbent |
| Christopher Reichard D | challenger |
| Rebecca Sharpe Lombard LIB | challenger |
Won the August 4, 2026 Democratic primary
Said vs. did
Each documented position next to the recorded floor votes we map to the same issue. Votes are compared one at a time; no overall stance is inferred from them.
Push to de-fund and abolish ICE
His campaign website lists pushing to de-fund and abolish ICE among his goals.[5][6]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Medicare-For-All and several stepping stone bills to get us there without shocking the system.
His campaign website lists Medicare-For-All among the bills he says would address healthcare funding problems.[5]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Ending private education vouchers systems that have been taking resources away from public education.
His campaign website lists ending private education voucher systems among his education goals.[5]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
This includes access to safe abortion care.
His campaign website text as reproduced by Ballotpedia (July 22, 2026) states support for access to abortion care; that text was not found on his current issues page.[7]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Biography
Christopher (Chris) Reichard, a Democratic Army veteran and union electrician, lost the November 3, 2026 election for Missouri's 8th District to Jason Smith. He served three tours in Iraq and became a union electrician with IBEW Local 1 after working in non-union telecommunications construction.[1][2][3][4]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Reichard was born in Tennessee and raised in the greater St. Louis region, according to his Ballotpedia survey and profile.[2] He joined the workforce at 16 and graduated from Northwest High School.[2] He told KRCU that he joined the Army after graduating high school in 2003.[4] Ballotpedia lists his Army service as 2004 to 2012, including three tours in Iraq.[2]
After leaving the Army, Reichard worked in non-union telecommunications construction in Houston, Texas, before returning home to Missouri, where he grew up, and joining IBEW Local 1 as a union electrician.[2][4] KRCU describes him as a communications journeyman technician, and Ballotpedia lists his profession as communications specialist.[4][2] He won the August 4, 2026 Democratic primary with 54.1% of the vote over Frank Barnitz, which is the first run for office Ballotpedia lists for him.[2] During the campaign, he emphasized strengthening organized labor and restoring cut federal programs.[2] Reichard received 29.2% of the vote to Jason Smith's 67.7%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[3]
In their own words
Priorities
- Labor: says his primary goal is strengthening the working class by removing restrictions on unions that he says have held them back since 1947 (a reference to the Taft-Hartley Act).[7]
- Says he wants to restore federal departments and programs he says were cut, including re-establishing what he calls healthy trade policies.[7]
- Says he aims to protect and defend the Constitution and reinforce checks and balances among the branches of government.[7]
Statements, quoted without a stance
- Broad tariffs on imported goods
“Tariffs and soured trade deals added ~$2,400/yr to average family costs”[5]
On his campaign website
Campaign money$5,674 raised · 98% from individuals · FEC through 2026-07-15
Totals this cycle
Bars share one scale (raised = full). Cash on hand can include money carried over from earlier cycles.
Who gave
- Individuals $5,565
- Own money & loans $109
Largest committee contributions
No direct contributions from PACs or other committees in the FEC’s bulk data.
Direct contributions only; outside spending is not included. Individual donors are itemized in the FEC’s receipts. All itemized receipts ↗ FEC filing ↗
Profile: /people/christopher-reichard
Compare all 3 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.United States House of Representatives elections in Missouri, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 2.Christopher Reichard - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026 Candidate's own words
- 3.U.S. House · Missouri's 8th District results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 4.Dem Chris Reichard wins Aug. 4 primary, moves to challenge incumbent Jason Smith for House of Representatives · KRCU · 2026-08-07 News report
- 5.Reichard for Rep: On the Issues · Chris Reichard for Congress campaign website Candidate's own words
- 6.GOP incumbent Smith faces primary challenger as Dems vie for Missouri's 8th District seat · Daily Journal (Park Hills, Mo.) · 2026-07-25 News report
- 7.Christopher Reichard - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026 Candidate's own words