Baeza Receives Endorsements from Local 103 Firefighters, Sedalia

By Katherine Hamilton
UCM Intern for Townsquare Media

On Wednesday, June 3rd, Sedalia Professional Firefighters Local 103 publicly endorsed Israel Baeza for Missouri State Representative.

At a podium set up right outside the Sedalia Fire Department, Josh Nelson, President of Sedalia Professional Firefighters Local 103, began a speech about why the department has chosen to endorse Baeza.

Throughout his leadership tenure, Israel has met with members of Local 103 on multiple occasions. Most recently, those discussions focused on the priorities and concerns of first responders across Missouri, including mental health resources, employee retention, and public safety. He has assured us that he shares these priorities and will continue to advocate for them at the state level if elected,” Nelson said.

Following Nelson, Sedalia mayor Traves Williams spoke about his connection to and experiences with Baeza. Williams explained that he has known Baeza for several years and that Baeza had convinced him to run for mayor of Sedalia.

“When you say integrity, transparency, honesty, I mean, it sums him up in so many words. He convinced me to be in this position right now through many years of conversation because of his heart, his dedication to our community. You know, he thought I would be great for this position, and I'm forever grateful that he convinced me to do so because, you know, it offered me an opportunity to extend what I've done on a personal level for so many years,” Williams said.

After hearing from Nelson and Williams, Baeza took to the podium to express his gratitude.

“And before I get started, I do want to take a time to recognize these individuals that are here standing side-by-side with me, specifically the men and women of the Sedalia Local 103. They're some of the finest public servants you're ever going to find,” Baeza said, “They're coaches. They're mentors. They're volunteers. They're our neighbors. And personally, I'm proud to call them friends. They're deeply invested in making Sedalia a better place.”

Baeza continued on to recognize Mayor Traves Williams.

“I was about 10 years old out on the soccer field. And now that I get the opportunity to work alongside him, I can't talk highly enough of him. He has a public servant's heart. He deeply cares about our community, and that's exactly the type of person that we need in our community and that we need in our city. I know he doesn't do it for recognition, and it's something that he does because he loves our city,” Baeza stated

KSIS reporters were able to gather additional information from Nelson and Baeza after the official announcement.

Nelson provided more insight into why the Sedalia Professional Firefighters Local 103 voted to endorse Baeza.

“Israel, he's been a friend to many of us. He has always supported public safety. He's taken our concerns, our questions seriously when asked, and he has reacted to them.

He's taken action, and we know that he'll continue to fight for us. I said he's a friend to many before he is a public servant, but being a friend lets us know that he is honest, he's trustworthy, he's true, and he's going to say what he means, and he's going to get done what he says he's going to do,” Nelson said.

Baeza has served as the Eastern District Commissioner for the County of Pettis after being appointed by Governor Mike Parson in 2018.

“I've always been interested in public service, always enjoyed serving others, but I truly believe God put me in this position. I don't know if you know my history, but I was actually appointed by Governor Parson when I first came in. There was a vacancy. Um, when I ran my first election, it was a three-way race. I had no idea where I was gonna be. I could be first place, third place. The people elected me overwhelmingly, and that was a good thing for me to know, hey, the people are behind what we're doing,” Baeza said.

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Baeza is in his second term and has been enjoying his work.

“I'm in my second term. By the end of this election, I'll be eight years total. And I'm not tired of serving,” Baeza said, “No, believe it or not, I enjoy it. I actually do love the fact that every day you get to make a difference in somebody's life.”

Baeza looks to join the Jefferson City circle to be a voice for the people at home.

“Our state needs a lot of work. I think there's some good people in Jeff City. I think there's also some people that are just in Jeff City. I've never been one to take that approach. I feel if I'm gonna do something, I wanna do it right, and one of the biggest things I hear from people is taxes. A lot of people feel that we are overtaxed, and I agree. I think we are overtaxed, so we do need to have some reforms in our tax system,” Baeza said. “Another thing is, I think a lot of people feel that they're not represented. A lot of people go to Jeff City with what may be good intentions, but then they get caught up in that circle. I have it very clear in my mind that the people that sent me to Jeff City are the people here at home, and that's who I, uh, report to, and that's who I will be listening to.”

The Missouri Republican Primary Election for State Representatives will be held on August 4th. Voters must register by July 8th. Following the Primary, the General election will be held on November 3rd, with the voter registration deadline set at October 7th.