JEFFERSON CITY聽鈥 School lunches in Missouri could be made with products grown on Missouri farms under a proposal being floated by a candidate for state treasurer.
Democrat Mark Osmack, who faces appointed Republican Treasurer Vivek Malek on Nov. 5, said the office could oversee the bidding process for the program, which he said is aimed at helping agriculture and the state鈥檚 children.
鈥淭his is one of the big differences between (Malek) and I,鈥 Osmack said Monday as he heads into the final two weeks of the election season. 鈥淗e鈥檚 focused on Texas and immigration and I鈥檓 focused on Missouri.鈥
As candidates for statewide office begin their final push, Osmack is among most Democrats who are down in the polls and fundraising.
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As of Oct. 1, Malek had $43,200 in two campaign accounts, compared to Osmack鈥檚 $13,400.
But Osmack said the race has the most undecided voters according to publicly available polls, giving him a path forward to close the gap.
Rather than pump money into television ads, he said he鈥檚 crisscrossing the state and boosting his online presence.
Tops among his platform is the school lunch concept, which he said would provide stability for farmers during market downturns.
The treasurer is the state鈥檚 chief financial officer, overseeing banking services and the state鈥檚 investment portfolio.
The office also manages the state鈥檚 unclaimed property division, which has more than $1 billion.
Osmack said he wants to streamline the division to make it easier for people to collect money that is owed to them.
Osmack, 42, is an Army veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan. He later worked for then-Missouri U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill. In 2018, Osmack ran to unseat U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner in Missouri鈥檚 2nd Congressional District but lost in the primary.
He is the director of government relations for the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials
He said Malek鈥檚 decision to team up with Wildwood-based Torch Electronics to promote the state鈥檚 unclaimed property program by placing stickers featuring himself and the official seal of the office on unregulated and untaxed gas station gambling machines shows a lack of judgment.
Malek reluctantly shut down the partnership after a Republican-led House committee blasted the arrangement last spring.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an absolute joke,鈥 Osmack said.
He also criticized Malek for focusing on immigration, saying Malek himself is a beneficiary of the nation鈥檚 immigration system after he came to the U.S. from India to study at Southeast Missouri State University.
Like other Republicans, Malek traveled to the southern border earlier this year to film a TV ad of him supporting former President Donald Trump鈥檚 vow to build a wall.
Osmack also called Malek鈥檚 support of Gov. Mike Parson鈥檚 decision to send Missouri National Guard troops and members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol to Texas earlier this year an example of 鈥渨aste, fraud and abuse.鈥
Malek, 47, is a political newcomer who was previously appointed to the SEMO Board of Governors by Parson in 2020.
In a statement from his campaign, Malek said programs he administers have helped farmers, including $100 million to assist agriculture production during drought conditions.
If elected, Malek said he plans to expand a small business loan program that he says will help more farmers in the coming years.
鈥淚 have always supported Missouri鈥檚 farmers and will continue to do so,鈥 Malek said.聽