JOPLIN — Jared Young, a Joplin businessman, wants to give Missouri a viable third option as an Independent candidate for the U.S. Senate.
Young, who has lived in Joplin for nearly a decade, declared his candidacy as an independent for the November 2024 election. Young previously lived in Washington, D.C., where he practiced law.
"I believe that our two-party system has fundamentally failed us," Young said in an interview with The St. Louis Record. "Our national political leadership is so caught up in hyper-partisanship and dysfunction that they are failing to solve or even address the largest problems that we are facing as a country, like our huge national debt and our broken immigration system, our struggling electoral system."
Young said these are things that all have solutions but those solutions are going to require legislators to have real conversations and to productively engage with each other even when they disagree with each other on a lot of things.
"I don’t think we are going to get that productive engagement by sending the same Republicans and Democrats to Washington," Young said. "I decided to run because, like so many people in Missouri, I am desperate for a viable third option. I kept thinking I could cross my fingers and wait for that third option to show up or I could stand up and be that viable third option."
Young said his overarching goal is to use his position as an independent in a closely divided Senate to force both parties to come to the table and have real conversations.
"The Senate is a place where an individual wields tremendous influence," Young said. "We see this today even without Independents in the Senate. Each Senator holds a lot of power, so an Independent Senator in a closely divided Senate would be able to actually force us to have these conversations about these issues we are not making any progress on today."
Young said several things distinguish him from others running for the seat.
"Obviously, the fact that I’m running as an Independent is the biggest distinguishing factor, in that I’m not beholden to either party and don’t have to face that pressure from the parties," Young said. "There are a few other things that distinguish me. I’m a former CEO. I’ve actually run a business in Missouri. That’s something that neither of my likely opponents can say. They don’t know what it’s like to actually run a business, balance a budget, or worry about your employees. They also don’t know what it’s like to experience first-hand how the actions of Congress can impact business owners. I think that’s a perspective that we really need in Congress."
Young said he plans to be a staunch advocate for the small business community.
"Another thing that distinguishes me is the tone of my campaign," Young said. "While Sen. Hawley and Lucas Kunce are slinging mud at each other, I will be focusing on a positive message that is bringing hope and driving past that cynicism and negativity that really dominates our politics today."
Young said that’s not to say he won’t ever criticize either one of them, but he will certainly be avoiding cheap shots and his focus will be on his message and not tearing the other opponents down.
"I’ve spent years living in Europe and some significant time in the Middle East," Young said. "I think that gives me some first-hand perspective on how the rest of the world views America and about the unique place that America has in the minds and hearts of people in other parts of the world, both positively and negatively. I think Sen. Hawley doesn’t have that first-hand international experience and sometimes it shows in the way he talks about the world. "
Young said he hopes the Washington of the future will be different from the Washington of today.
"I envision a Washington where we the people have been able to transform the way that the city works by sending people to Washington that reject the negativity and the cynicism that really dominate our politics today," Young said. "Now, that’s not going to happen overnight, but all it’s going to take is one major victory for an Independent, someone outside of the two-party system, and then as soon as Missouri proves that can be done, the door will be knocked down for other like-minded people to follow and it will help us enter a period where we’re able to turn around this tide of just overwhelming negatively and hyper-partisanship."
Young said it is time for a change.
"This is the election year where people are finally frustrated enough with the two-party system and what we’ve gotten from the two-party system that they’re ready to try something different," Young said. "I’m offering the people of Missouri a legitimate, viable third option. As I go around the state and talk to more people, it’s clear there is an appetite for this and so I look forward to really shaking things up and continuing to impact this race."
Young holds a law degree from Harvard University and completed his undergraduate studies at Brigham Young University. He has six children under the age of 12. He was an intramural volleyball champion in undergraduate school and an intramural basketball champion in his law school.
Young currently serves as the chief acquisitions officer at G&A Partners.