GOP challenger says she’s more moderate than Rep. Mike Moon. He says she’s a Democrat.

A Mt. Vernon School District employee is offering herself to Lawrence County voters as a more moderate, broadly focused alternative to Rep. Mike Moon, who went viral last year after decapitating a chicken on video to make a point about last summer's special session on abortion.

"I am a moderate Republican who is sensible, compassionate, and ready to serve the people of Lawrence County," says Karen Echols of Verona. "I'm not interested in grandstanding or making viral videos."

Echols says she grew up on a farm near Aurora and graduated from Missouri State University with a bachelor's degree in education.

Currently, she is a paraprofessional with the Mt. Vernon schools, as well as a certified teacher with a focus on family and consumer sciences. Echols said public education will be one of her top priorities if elected.

In keeping with her farming upbringing, Echols said she wants to support the local beef cattle production industry as well. And she also said she would focus on addressing how opioids and methamphetamine have ravaged southwest Missouri.

"I see firsthand in the classroom how it affects kids who have parents who are on drugs," she said.

Moon, R-Ash Grove, went viral with a video he filmed and posted to social media last summer after former Gov. Eric Greitens announced a special session for state lawmakers to pass laws restricting abortion. Greitens had described the special session as the cancellation of "summer vacation" for state lawmakers, who under the Missouri Constitution convene in Jefferson City from early January to mid-May.

In the video, Moon remarked that he was "right in the middle of my summer job" — processing chickens on his farm. He cut off a bird's head on camera while saying he planned to go back to work in Jefferson City per Greitens' call.

Later, Moon notes that the primary purpose of the special session was "protecting the unborn" and then reaches into the chicken and pulls out an organ. "I think we need to get to the heart of the matter here. So today, I'm filing a bill that will lead to the stopping of abortion in the state of Missouri, and I hope you'll support it."

Echols cited that video as part of the reason she decided to run, though she added she was hesitant to draw any more attention to the video. She said she would be focused on multiple issues, not just abortion.

"I feel like the 157th District needs someone who is devoted to lots of different ideas and policies," she said, "rather than something that's going to be decided at the federal level, not in Lawrence County."

Moon on Friday said the video was borne out of frustration with a lack of response from Greitens despite several letters to the then-governor.

"The frustration had been building for six months or better," Moon said, and "not one time did he respond."

Moon said he chose to put his message out on video because he knew the governor and his staff were active on social media and figured it would be a good way to get Greitens' attention. But Greitens didn't acknowledge the video, Moon said.

Looking back a year later, Moon said he'd "probably" film such a video again, given the choice. "I don't regret doing it."

While Moon's anti-abortion efforts get the most attention, he noted he has sponsored legislation decriminalizing the carrying of concealed weapons in certain places, authorizing a sales tax refund for some businesses and formally denouncing the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the Dred Scott case.

He acknowledged he has had trouble getting bills passed but sees a role for himself in the House as a "constitutional watchdog."

Moon also suggested that Echols was not a moderate Republican but was in fact a Democrat, claiming she had previously supported former President Barack Obama, gun control and gay marriage.

Echols acknowledged that, yes, she did vote for Obama.

"I have voted mostly for Republicans but also a few Democrats over the years," she said. "I like to judge people individually and I was won over by Obama's intelligence and passion. I did not agree with all of his policies but felt like he was the better choice at the time."

Regarding gay marriage, she said she didn't support religious officials being forced to violate their beliefs by performing marriages and said that "what I do believe is that the real threat to traditional marriage is many families struggle to find affordable housing, living wage jobs, and child care. ... We need to focus on how we can support families, rather than trying to deny a small portion of the population the choice to get married."

And, responding to Moon's claim about gun control, Echols said she was "an avid deer hunter and particularly enjoy black powder season."

"We need to focus on gun safety and helping law enforcement get illegal guns off the streets and out of the hands of people who have bad intentions," she said. "I have no plan to infringe on the rights of law-abiding, legal gun owners."

She drew on her background in education to explain her stance on possible gun legislation.

"We need to protect 2nd Amendment rights while figuring out what the root cause of school violence is so our children can go to school without fear," Echols continued. "What I do feel strongly about is keeping guns out of the classroom. More than one teacher I work with has said he or she will quit before allowing a gun in the classroom. The most popular solution I've heard is to have more school resource officers and I think that is a great idea."

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